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AUSTRALIA-COVID-19-TRAVEL
Australia suspends New Zealand travel bubble for at least 72 hours over
COVID-19 variant
CANBERRA, Jan. 25, 2021 (BSS/Xinhua) – The Australian government has
suspended the quarantine-free travel arrangement for New Zealand’s passengers
for a minimum of 72 hours in order to reduce the risk of new variant of the
COVID-19 virus entering the community.
Greg Hunt, Australia’s Minister for Health, announced the decision on
Monday afternoon.
“The changes come into effect, as I say, immediately,” Hunt said in a
press conference in Canberra.
It means all green safe travel zone passengers from New Zealand currently
en route to Australia, or with planned travel to Australia in the next 72
hours will be required to enter mandatory hotel quarantine for up to 14 days
on arrival or take other action based on the requirements of the relevant
state and territory governments.
The New Zealand government on Sunday announced a case of COVID-19 detected
in the community, which on Monday morning was confirmed as an infection of
the new variant of COVID-19.
Michael Kidd, acting Australian chief medical officer, said in the same
press conference on Monday that the person was infected with one of the
COVID-19 variants of concern, the B1351 variant, which was first detected in
South Africa in October.
“This new variant is more transmissible and presents a heightened level of
risk,” said Kidd.
In October 2020, the Australian government opened its borders to
travellers from New Zealand, allowing New Zealanders who have not been in an
area designated as the COVID-19 hotspot in the preceding 14 days to travel
quarantine-free to Australia.
BSS/XINHUA/MSY/1442 hrs