New Zealand to fully reopen to the world in August: Ardern

If WW3 or China war breaks out, my plan is to go there. But I’m not vaccinated. Been there a few times. Amazing place.

New Zealand will fully reopen to the world in August, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Wednesday, ending one of the toughest anti-COVID-19 border restrictions.

Through the pandemic and the misery that many still around the world are going through, here is one leader and nation that can truly say "Mission Accomplished".

really for all?

last time she have said that they want vaccinated people only...so far no trace about this in this article now...lets wait and see...

last time she have said that they want vaccinated people only...so far no trace about this 

yes, when their population was not highly vaccinated, of course they didn't want unvaccinated people flying in - now they are highly vaccinated and hospital numbers are coming down, unvaccinated can come.

By that time every country will be opened and 3/4 countries are already opened.

Wow. Some countries are only barely opening for 20,000 from June, and then those people still likely have to stay in quarantine for two weeks while returning nationals on the same flight are free to leave and hop on a crowded train.

I get it, NZ's tourism industry is huge for them and they have generally done extremely well with the virus for the most part.

Still, dropping testing too seems maybe premature? Let tourists in, but keep testing going for the forseeable future seems like a reasonable hedge. Especially given the recency of a lot of their cases.

Japan will follow suit once a suitable amount of procrastinating and tooth sucking time has passed.

The Land that Time Forgot. 2 full years is such a long time.

@smithinjapan: If you are trying to be sarcastic about Japan. Poor attempt.

Still, dropping testing too seems maybe premature? Let tourists in, but keep testing going for the forseeable future seems like a reasonable hedge. Especially given the recency of a lot of their cases.

I think it’s only pre departure testing that’s being dropped. May still be testing on arrival. Not sure

Virus is essentially done now. All this testing or not testing or vaccinated or not vaccinated stuff will eventually go away, despite the residual hysteria about Covid. What a wasted 2 years.....

No thank you New Zealand--not until you get the covid infection thing under control.

New Zealand has one of the highest infection rates in the world along with Australia.

New Zealand first copied China's zero covid policy and had great success at keeping infections and rates of infection low. When NZ eased the restrictions both numbers went to be among the highest in the world.

Failure of discipline.

New Zealand first copied China's zero covid policy and had great success at keeping infections and rates of infection low. When NZ eased the restrictions both numbers went to be among the highest in the world.

With Omicron, the number of infected is irrelevant.. It's deaths that matter, and the ability to handle the infections in the medical system. NZ, due to having gone with zero covid until they had high vaccination rates, now has infections, but very low deaths, and their medical system is not swamped.

Clearly Ardern has made the right moves all the way through the pandemic. Facts don't lie.

Wakarimasen

Virus is essentially done now.

No, it's not. New variants will emerge.

All this testing or not testing or vaccinated or not vaccinated stuff will eventually go away, despite the residual hysteria about Covid. What a wasted 2 years.....

Hardly a waste of time. The WHO estimates that Covid has killed ~15 million people. Without the testing and vaccines, that number would be way higher.

Deaths in NZ are less than 200 / million people (US is more than 15 times higher). Clearly Ardern has done a great job.