Travellers

Australia opens its borders to unvaccinated travellers

More than two years after the pandemic began, the change marks the end of significant Covid-based restrictions on travel into Australia.

While Australian citizens were able to arrive unvaccinated, most foreign travellers needed to seek an exemption on limited grounds.

From 12.01am on Wednesday morning, those requirements were scrapped altogether, opening the international border in full to unvaccinated travellers.

     

Fiji tests cases from African nations

Health Secretary Dr James Fong confirmed the cases of interest were Fijian nationals returning from Africa.

"In Fiji, we currently have Covid-positive travellers in quarantine who arrived in the country from African states before we knew about Omicron.

"They have been quarantined in line with the stringent measures we apply to countries we consider a red zone for ongoing viral spread. Their specimens will be forwarded this week overseas for genetic sequencing."

Managed transit allows stranded New Zealand travellers to get home

“There are millions of people around the world stranded by COVID-19 and we are continuing to do our part to help them get home,” Mr Peters said. “Accordingly, Cabinet agreed yesterday that New Zealand would seek reciprocal transit arrangements with a number of countries to enable our citizens to transit each other’s airports.

“One barrier to New Zealanders getting home at present is the transit restrictions imposed by a number of countries. We continue to seek assistance from these countries to enable New Zealanders to transit through their airports in order to come home.