New Zealand postpones border reopening. Borders were due to reopen in phases.
Where: New Zealand
The Facts
On Tuesday, New Zealand (NZ) postponed its plans to reopen its borders until the end of February.
The island nation cited the rapid spread of the Omicron variant as the catalyst for the decision.
The NZ government also announced it was delaying the quarantine-free travel bubble with Australia, which had been scheduled to commence on January 17th.
NZ’s COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said, “There’s no doubt this is disappointing and will upset many holiday plans, but it’s important to set these changes out clearly today, so they can have time to consider those plans.”
NZ’s decision is also likely to disrupt the inaugural season of the Super Rugby Pacific competition, involving five teams each from NZ and Australia, and two sides from the Pacific Islands – Moana Pasifika and Fijian Drua.
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