New Zealanders in Australia will be able to return home by the end of the month under a five-stage reopening plan announced by the government today.

The first stages of the plan would see returning vaccinated New Zealanders able to go into self-isolation and taking a test on arrival, rather than going into managed isolation and quarantine (MIQ).

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern revealed the plan in a speech to Business New Zealand this morning, in which she defended the government’s use of MIQ and pledged there would be “life after covid”.

“It’s easy to hear the word MIQ and immediately associate it with heartache. There is no question that for New Zealand it has been one of the hardest parts of the pandemic,” she said.

“But the choice to use it undeniably saved lives … MIQ meant not everyone could come home when they wanted to but it also meant that covid could not come in when it wanted to, either.”

The five stages:

• 11.59pm 27 February: Self-isolation opens for New Zealanders and eligible travellers coming from Australia
• 11.59pm 13 March: Open to New Zealanders and eligible travellers from the rest of the world; skilled workers earning at least 1.5x median wage; working holiday visas
• 11.59pm 12 April: Offshore temporary visa holders who still meet visa requirements; 5000 international students; consideration of further class exemptions for critical workforces that do not meet the 1.5x median wage test
• By July: Anyone from Australia; visa-waiver travel; a new Accredited Employer Work Visa opens and skilled worker exemption is phased out
• In October: Border reopens to the rest of the world, all visa categories fully reopen

Unvaccinated travellers would still go into MIQ, but with less demand the Defence Force would begin withdrawing and some facilities would return to being hotels. A core quarantine capacity would be maintained and scaled up, to become a National Quarantine Service.

Self-isolation period
The self-isolation period for returning travellers would match that for close contacts under the government’s phased approach to Omicron: 10 days under phase one, seven days under phase two and three.

Today’s media briefing at Business New Zealand. Video: RNZ News

All arrivals will be given three rapid antigen tests, returning results on day 0/1 and on day 5/6, with one extra test. Positive results will be confirmed with a PCR test.

Ardern said the tools used to help battle the health crisis had not stayed the same, and while some may feel anxious about the reopening plan, the isolation, testing and high vaccination rates would help keep the virus from spreading too quickly.

The shorter three-month interval between second and booster dose announced yesterday would mean more people were boosted by the time the first stage hit.

Ardern said the government would be continually monitoring the value of self-isolation, and it was possible it may not be needed in the “not too distant future”.

She also confirmed she would lead trade delegations this year to Australia, Asia, the United States and Europe.

‘New Zealand is in demand’
“New Zealand is in demand. Our exports are at record highs, people want to live and work here, international students want to study here, our friends and whānau want to return,” she said.

“Covid laid bare our unsustainable reliance on temporary migrant labour. Immigration will continue to be a part of our economic story, but we have the opportunity now to build resilience into our workforces while also attracting the skills and talent we need.

“We have a chance to do things differently.”

“I hear much talk of a return to business as usual but we are better than business as usual … we must now carve our own recovery. On our terms.”

“We are vaccinated, increasingly boosted, and continue to prepare ourselves at home and work with a plan – and so now it is time to move forward together, safely.”

The critical worker border exemptions under Step 1 of the border reopening would cover:

• Critical health workers
• Dairy farm managers and assistants
• Shearers and wool handlers
• Deepwater fishing crew
• Rural contractors
• Veterinarians
• Teachers
• International students
• Major infrastructure projects
• Tech sector workers
• External auditors
• Government-approved events and programmes
• Other short- and long-term ‘critical workers’

147 new community cases – 13 in hospital
The Ministry of Health reported today there were 147 new cases of covid-19 in the community and 44 at the border. Omicron is already the dominant strain.

In a statement, the ministry said the new community cases were in Northland (14), Auckland (90), Waikato (15), Rotorua (8), Taupō (1), Bay of Plenty (8), Hawke’s Bay (7) and Wellington (4).

A person admitted to Wellington Hospital has tested positive for covid-19, Capital and Coast DHB confirmed this morning. The ministry said there were another 12 people in hospital in Auckland, Rotorua and Hawke’s Bay.

There are no people in intensive care.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

New Zealand’s most restrictive border controls will be eased early next year, the government announced today.

Most fully-vaccinated travellers into New Zealand would not be required to go through managed isolation from early next year, Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said.

A seven-day self-isolation requirement will take the place of MIQ.

Hipkins revealed fully-vaccinated New Zealanders would be able to travel from Australia without having to quarantine from 11.59pm on 16 January, and from 11.59pm on 13 February that would extend to fully-vaccinated New Zealanders from all countries.

From April 30, all fully-vaccinated foreigner travellers would also be able to come to this country without having to quarantine, though proof of vaccination would be required.

All travellers not required to go into MIQ would still require:

• a negative pre-departure test proof of being fully vaccinated;
• a passenger declaration about travel history, a day 0/1 test on arrival;
• a requirement to self-isolate for seven days, and
• a final negative test before entering the community.

Government ‘still cautious’
Hipkins said: “It’s very encouraging that we as a country are now in a position to move towards greater normality. I do want to emphasise though that travel in 2022 won’t necessarily be exactly the same as it was in pre-2020 travel.”

The government defended its decision not to open the trans-Tasman bubble before Christmas.

Hipkins said the government needed to remain cautious about how much risk the country was exposed to in a short period of time.

He said loosening restrictions domestically and at the border need to be staggered.

215 new covid-19 cases
There were 215 new community cases of covid-19 today — 181 in Auckland, 18 in Waikato, three in Northland and 12 in the Bay of Plenty.

Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield this afternoon said 87 people were being treated in hospital, eight people of those in intensive care.

The Ministry of Health said 118 of today’s 215 new cases were yet to be linked.

There were 18,880 vaccine doses given yesterday — 6496 first doses and 12,384 second doses, meaning 92 percent of eligible people in New Zealand have had their first dose and 84 percent are now fully vaccinated.

Traffic-light system legislation
Legislation setting up the traffic light system — including mandating vaccinations for some workforces — has been pushed through Parliament in less than 24 hours.

Passed under urgency, the bill was opposed by the opposition National, Act and Te Paati Māori parties.

National called it secretive, divisive and unduly rushed. Act said the government had plenty of time to move it through the regular process involving greater scrutiny, and the Māori Party called it a “cruel law change” that would victimise vulnerable communities.

MPs also rejected a change to the traffic light system, which would have seen places of worship and funerals exempt from vaccine certificate requirements.

National’s Simeon Brown had put forward a proposed change to the bill.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Papua New Guinea and neighbouring Indonesia have been discussing a potential reopening of their shared border.

The border was officially closed early last year due to the covid-19 pandemic, but the illegal movement of people back and forth has continued across the porous international boundary.

PNG Prime Minister James Marape met with Indonesia’s Ambassador in Port Moresby, Andriana Supandy, and agreed that the border must be properly policed to prevent the spread of covid-19.

Indonesia’s heath system is being stretched with high covid infection rates, and PNG has also struggled to contain the spread of the virus.

No date has been given for when the border may reopen officially.

In others areas discussed, Supandy proposed for the two countries to enter into a Free Trade Agreement to boost trade and commerce, citing the potential as demonstrated in the success of vanilla trade between PNG and Indonesia.

The ambassador also informed Prime Minister Marape that Indonesia has already ratified the Border and Defence Cooperation Agreement and Land Border Transport Agreement and was awaiting PNG to do the same.

He said these agreements would pave the way for a more robust bilateral tie between the two countries.

On West Papua, the diplomat said that Indonesia appreciated the consistent position that PNG government has taken in acknowledging that the western half of New Guinea was an integral part of Indonesia.

He said the West Papuan self-determination demands remained an internal issue for Indonesia to resolve.

A release from Marape’s office also said both countries had discussed the need for joint cooperation in power connectivity to areas in PNG’s Western and West Sepik provinces.

Military donation
The Indonesian military has donated an aircraft engine to the PNG Defence Force Air Transport Squadron for one of its aircraft to be used for operations in the 2022 general election.

Marape also confirmed yesterday that US$14 million would be ballocated in 2021 and 2022 to ensure all aircraft were ready to be used next year.

The The National newspaper reports Marape saying the aircraft would also be used in enforce transborder security.

The head of the Indonesian National Armed Forces Strategic Intelligence Agency, Lieutenant-General Joni Supriyanto, arrived on a Lockheed C-130H Hercules in Port Moresby yesterday with the engine.

He said transporting the overhauled Casa aircraft engine to PNG “would enhance relationship and cooperation between the armed forces contributing to security and stability in the region”.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

A covid-19 positive patient is being flown to New Zealand from Fiji today despite an earlier decision by the Ministry of Health to decline the transfer.

The infected patient from Fiji is being flown to Auckland for hospital treatment.

It is reported the person involved is a high-profile staff member employed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) currently working in the covid-ravaged country.

The patient was due to board a special flight that was set to arrive in Auckland this afternoon.

The transfer comes after the Ministry of Health said earlier this week that the formal request had been declined on clinical grounds due to ICU being at full capacity.

The fluidity of the situation at the metro-Auckland DHB ICUs determined this treatment can be provided according to the Ministry of Health.

The receiving hospital is yet to be confirmed, and will be determined by the treatment required by the patient and the capacity in the respective ICUs.

There are appropriate isolation and infection prevention and control plans in place at all the metro-DHB hospitals to accommodate this patient, according to the Ministry of Health.

Any patient coming from Fiji, or any other country, is covered by protocols to protect against the risk of spread of covid-19.

New Zealand’s Ministry of Health said strong protocols were in place to manage the risk of transferring the patient.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Fiji Health Ministry’s Permanent Secretary Dr James Fong says the breach at the quarantine facility in Nadi was an incident waiting to happen.

He was reported saying this by Fiji Village News as reports of random announcements of new cases were being made with journalists citing 10 active cases in Fiji.

The quarantine facility was an operation run by human beings and no quarantine process in the world had been 100 percent full proof, Dr Fong said.

He said that every single quarantine system in the world had been breached.

He added that the ministry had got a lot of community support on the first night of operations when officials were looking for 310 people that were now in quarantine.

Dr Fong said Rosie Holidays gave them vehicles and told them to use them while Pacific Destinations told them they would go anywhere to help the ministry reach those people.

He said there were other people who came forward with help and this assistance allowed them to secure the 310 people in 12 hours which was a “huge achievement”.

Containment plan
The ministry’s biggest priority at the moment was getting the containment plan working and the exercise of going through the whole of Lautoka and Nadi was a huge logistical exercise.

He also said there would be 19 screening locations in the Central Division by tomorrow and locations were also being set up in the Northern Division.

Spread the word: #TeamFiji

If you or someone you know was @ a funeral (reguregu & burial) in Lautoka on Fri April 16 & Sat April 17; YOU COULD HAVE BEEN EXPOSED to #covid19

Please call 158 and give them information that could help the government get #covidcontained once more! pic.twitter.com/xAPngLp9L8

— Lice Movono (@LiceMovono) April 20, 2021

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Fiji Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama says a breach in protocol in relation to the 53-year-old woman now testing positive of covid-19 should not have happened.

The woman who was working as a maid in a border quarantine facility developed symptoms last Thursday, but continued working and failed to notify authorities.

The woman who tested positive for covid-19 today has a “highly transmissible” case.

“Our investigation has revealed that she had an interaction with the soldier when he showed up early to his room as it was being cleaned.

“Protocol dictates that overlap should not have happened, that is why the woman was not tested before re-entering the public. We have to wait and see what further is revealed in the investigation.”

Bainimarama said the woman, who was a daytime worker, had travelled between Nadi and Lautoka and also attended a funeral in Tavakubu in Lautoka on Friday and Saturday.

“Perhaps most worryingly she attended a funeral in Tavakubu, Lautoka on Friday and Saturday traveling alongside other passengers by minivan.

“Her movement using public transport and her attendance in close proximity alongside many other Fijians at the two-day funeral makes further transmissions in the community highly likely.”

Fiji ‘faced with danger’
The Prime Minister said Fiji was faced with danger and the breach in the protocol should not have been repeated.

He said to limit the risk of mass transmission, authorities had established containment areas in Nadi and Lautoka and from Qeleloa, Vakabuli, and the Waiwai crossing bearing towards Ba.

Bainimarama said new stringent health protection measures had come into effect.

He said the Ministry of Health and Medical Services personnel and disciplined forces had rapidly established screening points at this entry point.

Praneeta Prakash is a multimedia journalist with FBC News.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

The New Zealand government should impose a week-long home quarantine for returnees after they have left managed isolation facilities to reduce the risk of community spread, epidemiologist Professor Michael Baker says.

Three positive cases, a Northland woman and a father and daughter in Auckland, were detected this week after they had left their managed isolation facility – the Pullman Hotel in central Auckland.

The three people caught the virus from an infectious person staying at the same facility. The initial source was sent to a quarantine facility once they tested positive.

More than 36,000 tests have been completed in the last week, 22,000 of those in the community, since the positive cases were confirmed. No new cases have been identified.

University of Otago epidemiologist Professor Michael Baker told RNZ Morning Report this latest scare had renewed his concerns about New Zealand’s border protection process.

“Personally, I think we should be thinking about this whole four-week period that [returnees] have, the week before they get on the flight overseas, their two weeks in MIQ in New Zealand, and their week after they leave these facilities.

“Obviously we need to focus more on that whole journey, but I think the week after they leave MIQ… it’s a really good idea to think about requiring a week of home quarantine. If we look at what is done internationally, say Taiwan for example, has used that approach quite a lot and they really do enforce that period, people are required to stay at home, it’s followed up and there are huge fines if you don’t adhere to that requirement.”

Returnees stay in one place
While he admits there are practicality problems associated with that, Professor Baker said the main point was that returnees stayed in one place, reducing the risk of another scenario like the one this week.

“One of the really concerning numbers is the fact that we’ve increased by about threefold the number of positive being detected in our MIQ facilities over the last few months, this has just crept up steadily and it reflects the fact that the pandemic is getting much more intense overseas, and we’re seeing more transmissible variants.

“So I would say the [government’s] focus really needs to shift offshore and thinking about the ways we can reduce the number of infected people arriving here.”

Despite the scare, Professor Baker said he was confident widespread transmission had been avoided.

“This is not like the Auckland August outbreak, where we had unknown chains of transmission in the community, these are very clearly defined breaches of our MIQ system and we know who they are, their contacts have been followed up, so it’s a different situation.

“So I’m reasonably optimistic, but I guess we just have to see more results.”

Professor Baker said one reason why there had not been widespread transmission could be because only about one in five cases transmit it to other people.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz