New Zealand paused quarantine-free travel arrangements with Victoria on May 25 after the Australian state entered a lockdown amid a Covid-19 outbreak, stranding thousands of travellers.
After it was extended for parts of the state last week, New Zealand continued the pause while opening up options for people to return from tomorrow, without needing to go into managed isolation.
Authorities said the lockdown meant they would have spent the equivalent of two weeks in isolation. Travellers also need to return a negative Covid-19 test before flying.
Director-general of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield said last week the risk of those returning — who also would be tested on arrival — bringing Covid-19 was "very low".
Despite yesterday’s cases and concerns of the new more infectious Delta variant rising, epidemiologist Dr Michael Baker said the risk continued to be "very low".
He recognised some in New Zealand could be nervous, as this was the first time travellers would be able to return from a place overseas experiencing an outbreak without needing to do managed isolation, but said there were "very good measures in place".
"There would always be a low risk of anyone bringing the virus back with them at the current rate of infection there, but with the lockdown and needing a test there and when they get back I think absolutely the risk remains very low."
There will be two flights a day between Melbourne and Auckland from tomorrow, and daily flights from Melbourne to Queenstown, Wellington and Christchurch from Friday.
Anyone who is normally resident in New Zealand, as well as people with humanitarian exemptions and critical workers stranded in Victoria, is able to take the flights.
— The New Zealand Herald
