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| New Zealand border to reopen from next month, PM Ardern says | New Zealand border to reopen from next month, PM Ardern says |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| New Zealand says it's keen to welcome back international tourists | New Zealand says it's keen to welcome back international tourists |
| New Zealand has brought forward plans to reopen its borders to international travellers after a Covid lockout of more than two years. | New Zealand has brought forward plans to reopen its borders to international travellers after a Covid lockout of more than two years. |
| Australians will be allowed to enter the country without needing to quarantine or isolate from 13 April. | Australians will be allowed to enter the country without needing to quarantine or isolate from 13 April. |
| Fully vaccinated travellers from about 60 countries on a visa-waiver list will be able to arrive from 2 May. Those nations include the UK and US. | Fully vaccinated travellers from about 60 countries on a visa-waiver list will be able to arrive from 2 May. Those nations include the UK and US. |
| All arrivals will have to show a negative Covid test. | All arrivals will have to show a negative Covid test. |
| New Zealand shut its borders in March 2020 as the pandemic spread. They have remained closed, except for a short-lived travel bubble with Australia. | New Zealand shut its borders in March 2020 as the pandemic spread. They have remained closed, except for a short-lived travel bubble with Australia. |
| Currently only New Zealand citizens are allowed in and out. | Currently only New Zealand citizens are allowed in and out. |
| Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said New Zealand was "ready to welcome the world back". | Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said New Zealand was "ready to welcome the world back". |
| "We have now received guidance that it is safe to significantly bring forward the next stage of border reopening work, bringing back our tourists," she said on Wednesday. | "We have now received guidance that it is safe to significantly bring forward the next stage of border reopening work, bringing back our tourists," she said on Wednesday. |
| People who already have a visa - but are from outside the visa waiver list - will be eligible to enter the country on 1 May. | People who already have a visa - but are from outside the visa waiver list - will be eligible to enter the country on 1 May. |
| While tough lockdowns and virtual isolation helped the country get a reputation as a Covid success story, transmission rates have soared recently. | |
| NZ to allow in pregnant reporter helped by Taliban | NZ to allow in pregnant reporter helped by Taliban |
| New Zealand PM cancels wedding amid Covid spike | New Zealand PM cancels wedding amid Covid spike |
| Men caught sneaking KFC into lockdown-hit Auckland | Men caught sneaking KFC into lockdown-hit Auckland |
| Many Kiwis are struggling to grasp how their country has gone from fewer than 1,000 cases a day to more than 20,000 daily infections in just a couple of weeks. Ms Ardern had pursued an elimination strategy until October last year. | Many Kiwis are struggling to grasp how their country has gone from fewer than 1,000 cases a day to more than 20,000 daily infections in just a couple of weeks. Ms Ardern had pursued an elimination strategy until October last year. |
| But New Zealand now has a 95% vaccination rate in the eligible population. It has recorded only 115 Covid deaths since the pandemic began. | |
| Despite some easing of isolation requirements for Covid patients, the country remains in its highest level of restrictions with limits on gatherings and mask mandates in many settings. | Despite some easing of isolation requirements for Covid patients, the country remains in its highest level of restrictions with limits on gatherings and mask mandates in many settings. |
| Mandates have left unvaccinated people in some sectors without jobs, leading to three weeks of protests in the capital Wellington. | Mandates have left unvaccinated people in some sectors without jobs, leading to three weeks of protests in the capital Wellington. |
| You may also be interested in: | You may also be interested in: |
| This video can not be played | This video can not be played |
| To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. | To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. |
| Many people with Covid suffer from smell loss and need 'smell training' to bring their senses back. | Many people with Covid suffer from smell loss and need 'smell training' to bring their senses back. |