Tagged: quarantine

New Zealand is right to pause travel to Australia. It buys time to upgrade its COVID-19 response - COVID-19

Guest Author • Jun 29, 2021 •

• COVID-19,
• New Zealand stories,
• quarantine,
• trans-tasman bubble

Matthew Hobbs, University of Canterbury   The trans-Tasman travel bubble popped just ten weeks after quarantine-free travel started. The government today announced that the current pause in trans-Tasman travel has been extended until at least midnight on Sunday. It will then only lift for South Australia, Australia Capital Territory, Tasmania and Victoria. Travellers will also need to have … Read More

Australia’s Quarantine Systems Failures: Lessons for NZ - Public Health Expert

Public Health Expert • May 12, 2021 •

• border,
• COVID-19,
• MIQ,
• New Zealand stories,
• quarantine

Dr Leah Grout, Ameera Katar, Dr Jennifer Summers, Prof Nick Wilson (*Author details) Aotearoa NZ and Australian states have successfully eliminated community transmission of COVID-19, albeit with occasional outbreaks from imported cases. Both countries have primarily used hotel-based quarantine for returning travellers, but still do not have optimal border control. In this blog we consider potential lessons from … Read More

It’s still too soon for NZ to relax COVID-19 border restrictions for travellers from low-risk countries - COVID-19

Guest Author • Feb 06, 2021 •

• Borders,
• COVID-19,
• managed isolation and quarantine facilities,
• quarantine

Michael Plank, University of Canterbury and Shaun Hendy, University of Auckland Relaxing border restrictions for travellers from low COVID-19 risk countries would increase the risk of community cases in New Zealand by around 25%, says an article published yesterday in the New Zealand Medical Journal. This might not sound like a big increase in risk, but it means breaches … Read More

Aristocracy of Pull continues - The Dismal Science

Eric Crampton • Jan 18, 2021 •

• COVID-19,
• managed isolation and quarantine facilities,
• MIQ,
• quarantine

RNZ reports on continued arbitrariness on decisions at the border.  British comedian Russell Howard is about to tour New Zealand and other acts allowed in through managed isolation this summer include drag queen RuPaul and musicians at Northern Bass in Mangawhai and the Bay Dreams festival. The vice-president of the Promoters Association, Gray Bartlett, said despite being an approved … Read More

Time to Stop Dodging Bullets? NZ’s Eight Recent Border Control Failures - Public Health Expert

Public Health Expert • Nov 17, 2020 •

• border,
• coronavirus,
• COVID-19,
• managed isolation,
• quarantine

Prof Nick Wilson, Dr Leah Grout, Dr Amanda Kvalsvig, Prof Michael Baker There have been eight distinct border control failures in Aotearoa/NZ relating to the pandemic virus that causes COVID-19, since early August 2020, equivalent to one every two weeks. In this blog we briefly detail these failures and argue the case for an urgent review and upgrading of … Read More

New Zealand needs a ‘traffic light’ system to stop COVID-19 creeping in at the border - COVID-19

Guest Author • Nov 06, 2020 •

• advertising,
• border,
• coronavirus,
• COVID-19,
• Pandemic,
• quarantine

Nick Wilson, University of Otago and Michael Baker, University of Otago Following the sixth COVID-19 incursion in three months, New Zealand needs to shift from a one-size-fits-all strategy to a risk-based approach to border management. Two staff have recently tested positive after coming into contact with international seafarers in the course of their duties at a managed isolation facility … Read More

How to strengthen the post-isolation Covid rules - Infectious Thoughts

Siouxsie Wiles • Sep 21, 2020 •

• coronavirus,
• COVID-19,
• isolation,
• quarantine,
• testing

Over the weekend, the Ministry of Health reported a case of Covid-19 in Auckland that is not related to the current Auckland cluster. Before we start to panic, here’s how I think the case happened and how we can strengthen our current border controls. The new Covid-19 case is someone who returned to New Zealand from India on August 27. Read More

What does a robust Covid response look like for New Zealand? - Infectious Thoughts

Siouxsie Wiles • Aug 23, 2020 •

• border,
• COVID-19,
• ESR,
• quarantine,
• sewage,
• testing

Because we don’t have widespread community transmission of Covid-19 in New Zealand, our response managing our border and responding to any outbreaks will also help the rest of the world understand more about Covid-19. Let me explain how, and what I think a robust Covid-19 response looks like at least in the short term. Controls at the border are all … Read More

Borders and Bubbles - The Dismal Science

Eric Crampton • Aug 11, 2020 •

• Cook Islands,
• COVID-19,
• managed isolation,
• quarantine,
• Travel

There’s no Covid on the Cook Islands. But isolation-free travel into New Zealand from the Cooks looks to be a long way off.  The Prime Minister confirmed on Monday that Cabinet had considered draft text being worked on via officials which will become the basis of an agreement for quarantine-free travel between the Cook Islands and New Zealand. “That draft … Read More

Safe arrivals - The Dismal Science

Eric Crampton • Jul 29, 2020 •

• COVID-19,
• managed isolation,
• quarantine,
• Travel

If entry into New Zealand from abroad is safe, it should be allowed.  People arriving from places that are Covid-free, or no more risky than New Zealand, and who get here on flights that do not intersect with risky places, should return to normal travel arrangements. Currently, the Cook Islands, the rest of New Zealand’s Pacific Island realm, and Taiwan … Read More