New Zealand recently announced that the country is unlikely to reopen its borders to most parts of the world in the year 2021. According to a report, the Prime Minister of New Zealand that is Jacinda Ardern stated that reopening will bring “too great a risk” to the people’s health and also the country’s economy. The country’s borders are expected to be “impacted for much of this year”, Jacinda Ardern added.
New Zealand has decided to only pursue travel bubbles with Australia and the Pacific on either country-by-country level or even state-by-state level.
Jacinda Ardern also said that the first batch of Covid-19 vaccines will arrive in the country by end of March with priority given to border workers and she mentioned this on the 26th of January. Covid-19 Response Minister that is Chris Hipkins also added, “The government aims to start vaccinating the general public in mid-2021”.
Jacinda Ardern also stated that the government had purchased a “diverse portfolio” of vaccines, including the one from Pfizer-BioNTech. However, New Zealand’s specific vaccination timeline remains unclear.
Sources: NZHerald