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The New Zealand government has held off on announcing a start date for quarantine-free travel between Australia and New Zealand. Prime minister Jacinda Ardern says the government intends to announce a start date on 6 April.
She said there were a series of concerns that needed to be addressed before the bubble could be put in place, such as a response framework in the event of an outbreak in Australia, measures in place to contact trace travellers there, and regulatory mechanisms in place.
New Zealand is exploring how to make its managed isolation and quarantine system more equitable after sustained demand.The booking system received 1m hits when vouchers for June and July were released, causing the website to crash.Radio New Zealand reports that the government is receiving 100 complaints a week about the system.
With people currently needing to reserve rooms about 16 weeks in advance, a waitlist is being considered to manage the demand.One Australia-based Kiwi likened the booking system to “fans fighting over concert tickets”.
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