Three questions about the travel bubble between Australia and New Zealand

The idea of ​​a “bubble” between Australia and New Zealand was mentioned for more than a year, but the release was postponed several times due to the appearance of clusters. Govit-19. This became a reality on Monday: the first passengers were able to board the planes of this “bubble” and can now travel between Australia and New Zealand without any isolation.

• What is this “bubble” for?

This “bubble” appears a year after the South Pacific archipelago closed its borders due to an epidemic. In the concrete system, citizens of both countries can travel without isolation. With the feeling of returning to normal life, the separated families were reunited. “(I’m going) screaming, screaming, crying, hugging, kissing, (me) feeling happy – all of this,” Denise O’Donoghue, 63, told AFP.

For Lorraine Vrat, a New Zealander who suffered an epidemic while in Australia with her family, the trip was “excellent”. “We are very happy to be home, but our family (in Australia) will be very missed,” he said. “We came to Australia on December 11 to spend Christmas with the kids … we planned to come back in February, it was a nightmare.”

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“This is a great day for families and their friends,” the New Zealand Prime Minister said Jacintha Artern, We welcome the effective policy of combating the corona virus in the two countries that allowed this corridor to open. The leader approved this “bubble” policy last Tuesday.

• Why was it set up between these two countries?

This is explained by the Govt front links between the two territories. Prior to the epidemic, Australians accounted for the largest proportion of foreign tourists traveling to New Zealand, with about 1.5 million arrivals in 2019. On the first day the pavement is installed, most travelers return to their home country on cylinders following a three-hour journey.

The “bubble” was made possible by the effective fight against the virus in both countries. New Zealand, which recorded 26 deaths linked to Govt-19, is one of the most effective countries using its geographical isolation. With less than a thousand deaths per 25 million population, Australia was also praised for its handling of the epidemic. The country opened its territory somewhat to New Zealand six months ago, allowing it to move to certain states without noticing isolation.

There is another reason. The New Zealand economy has been hit hard by the lack of foreign tourism on its soil for more than a year. The local tourism sector hopes that the “bubble” will contribute one billion New Zealand dollars (600 million euros) to the national economy. Jacinta Artern urged the Australians to take advantage of this opportunity as New Zealand’s winter season approaches.

• Will the device spread?

Other “bubbles” will definitely emerge. Australia is considering the possibility of creating tourism “bubbles” with Singapore, South Korea, Japan and Taiwan, while New Zealand is working to allow unrestricted access to smaller Pacific states such as the Cook Islands and Tuvalu.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has raised the possibility of Australians vaccinated against Covit-19 going abroad by the end of 2021. When they return, they will be able to observe a period of isolation at home rather than being forced to stay alone for two weeks in a hotel.

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Greg Foren, the airline’s chief executive, called the day “historic” for those working in the severely affected tourism industry. “(This) is a real turning point for the airline.” He firmly believes: “This is the first day of our rebirth.”

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