CoveragePost
January 14, 2022
By Craig McCulloch, RNZ News deputy political editor The Cook Islands has reopened its borders to fully vaccinated New Zealanders, but with less fanfare and more trepidation than last year’s kick-off. The two-way quarantine-free travel bubble lasted just three months in 2021 before authorities pulled the pin due to Auckland’s delta outbreak of covid-19. Since ... <a title="Cook Islands reopens border with vaccinated New Zealanders" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2022/01/14/cook-islands-reopens-border-with-vaccinated-new-zealanders/" aria-label="Read more about Cook Islands reopens border with vaccinated New Zealanders">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
August 18, 2021
Cook Islands News Cook Islands has suspended the travel bubble with New Zealand after NZ officials reported new covid-19 community cases in Auckland. Four new community cases have been reported by health authorities — including an Auckland nurse — taking the total to five. The new cases are all linked to yesterday’s first case in ... <a title="Cook Islands suspends travel bubble with New Zealand – 5 delta cases" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2021/08/18/cook-islands-suspends-travel-bubble-with-new-zealand-5-delta-cases/" aria-label="Read more about Cook Islands suspends travel bubble with New Zealand – 5 delta cases">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
May 4, 2021
By Charlie Dreaver, RNZ News political reporter Cook Island businesses holding out for much needed tourists have now got a reprieve with a travel bubble with New Zealand less than two weeks away. It will start on May 17, with Air New Zealand offering flights from May 18. During yesterday’s announcement, Cook Islands Prime Minister ... <a title="Cook Islands PM on travel bubble: ‘Today, we start to rebuild’" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2021/05/04/cook-islands-pm-on-travel-bubble-today-we-start-to-rebuild/" aria-label="Read more about Cook Islands PM on travel bubble: ‘Today, we start to rebuild’">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
April 27, 2021
COMMENT: By Shailendra Singh in Suva Perth in Australia was plunged into a three-day lockdown after community transmission was linked to a returnee from India. Fiji finds itself in similar situation due to a returnee, also from India. Australian officials say overseas travel is allowed only for “the most profound humanitarian or compassionate reasons, under ... <a title="Shailendra Singh: Some tough covid questions for Fiji after 12 more cases" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2021/04/27/shailendra-singh-some-tough-covid-questions-for-fiji-after-12-more-cases/" aria-label="Read more about Shailendra Singh: Some tough covid questions for Fiji after 12 more cases">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
April 19, 2021
While the trans-Tasman bubble today is “a significant day” for New Zealanders, any moves to open the borders to other countries will need to be be based on hard evidence, the prime minister says. After months of discussions, the trans-Tasman bubble is officially open. The prime ministers of New Zealand and Australia are describing it ... <a title="Trans-Tasman bubble opens – data key to other bubbles opening, says PM" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2021/04/19/trans-tasman-bubble-opens-data-key-to-other-bubbles-opening-says-pm/" aria-label="Read more about Trans-Tasman bubble opens – data key to other bubbles opening, says PM">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
March 26, 2021
RNZ Pacific New Zealand expects to open a two-way travel bubble with the Cook Islands in May and is planning a vaccination campaign there. The leaders of both nations met in Auckland today, with New Zealand confirming $20 million in additional support for the country this financial year. Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown is ... <a title="NZ plans Cook Islands vaccination campaign, two-way travel bubble" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2021/03/26/nz-plans-cook-islands-vaccination-campaign-two-way-travel-bubble/" aria-label="Read more about NZ plans Cook Islands vaccination campaign, two-way travel bubble">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
March 6, 2021
ANALYSIS: By Dave Parry, Auckland University of Technology Although international travel restrictions for Australia have been extended to at least June, there may still be potential for a trans-Tasman bubble with New Zealand (and maybe some other countries), according to reports. Air New Zealand will begin trialling digital vaccine passports (or “immunity passports”) on routes ... <a title="How would digital covid vaccine passports work? And what’s stopping people from faking them?" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2021/03/06/how-would-digital-covid-vaccine-passports-work-and-whats-stopping-people-from-faking-them/" aria-label="Read more about How would digital covid vaccine passports work? And what’s stopping people from faking them?">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
December 15, 2020
By RNZ News It is looking increasingly likely that the much discussed trans-Tasman bubble is finally on the way. Cabinet has agreed in principle to quarantine-free travel in the first quarter of 2021. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said officials were working on contingency plans in the event of an outbreak. The decision is dependent on ... <a title="Trans-Tasman bubble to help reunify families, business, says epidemiologist" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2020/12/15/trans-tasman-bubble-to-help-reunify-families-business-says-epidemiologist/" aria-label="Read more about Trans-Tasman bubble to help reunify families, business, says epidemiologist">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
October 17, 2020
By RNZ News Seventeen passengers from New Zealand who travelled to Sydney under the trans-Tasman bubble arrangements have been caught entering Melbourne, reports the ABC. The ABC understands the passengers flew to Sydney and got a connecting to flight to Melbourne. Melbourne is currently not accepting international travellers. Initially it was reported that 14 passengers ... <a title="17 travellers from NZ caught entering Melbourne in travel ‘bubble breach’" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2020/10/17/17-travellers-from-nz-caught-entering-melbourne-in-travel-bubble-breach/" aria-label="Read more about 17 travellers from NZ caught entering Melbourne in travel ‘bubble breach’">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
July 19, 2020
COMMENTARY: By Graham Davis in Sydney The man with his hands on the tiller of the Fijian economy, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, has always been a great admirer of Gough Whitlam’s “crash through or crash” approach to leadership and never more so than with the F$3.67 billion budget he announced on Friday night. Allowing for a sobering ... <a title="Graham Davis: Fiji’s great ‘crash through or crash’ budget is counting on a tourism bubble" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2020/07/19/graham-davis-fijis-great-crash-through-or-crash-budget-is-counting-on-a-tourism-bubble/" aria-label="Read more about Graham Davis: Fiji’s great ‘crash through or crash’ budget is counting on a tourism bubble">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
July 15, 2020
By Barbara Dreaver, 1 NEWS Pacific Correspondent The Cook Islands government’s inaccurate and startling announcement yesterday about a tourism bubble opening with New Zealand as soon as next week has done more harm than good. Clearly a failed attempt at trying to force Jacinda Ardern’s hand into giving a date now and using mouthpiece media ... <a title="Barbara Dreaver: Cook Islands travel bubble pressure a bid to ‘strong arm’ Ardern" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2020/07/15/barbara-dreaver-cook-islands-travel-bubble-pressure-a-bid-to-strong-arm-ardern/" aria-label="Read more about Barbara Dreaver: Cook Islands travel bubble pressure a bid to ‘strong arm’ Ardern">Read more</a>