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The trans-Tasman travel bubble popped just ten weeks after听.
The government today announced that the current pause in trans-Tasman travel has been听听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 a pre-departure test within 72 hours of leaving Australia.
The decision follows听听in Australia. Up to 80% of Australians are now under some form of听.
New 茄子视频app官网has so far managed to avoid an outbreak, with听听despite the fact that an Australian visitor spent a weekend in Wellington earlier this month and subsequently听听for the delta variant.
While alert levels for the Wellington region will return to level 1 tonight, it will be a听听before New Zealanders can breathe a sigh of relief. The rapidly changing situation in Australia now poses a听.
Several other countries in the听, which were once COVID-19 success stories, have all seen significant, uncontrolled and rapid surges in cases and hospitalisations. Australia is on the verge of joining this growing list, which includes听听补苍诲听.
The risk from Australia
The situation in Australia is evolving but has several听. The听听delta variant has rapidly听听several parts of the country, including areas it听.
Australia鈥檚 COVID-19 response committee held an听听on Monday in response to the escalating situation.
New South Wales is now the 鈥渆picenter鈥. The outbreak has听听and residents are adjusting to life under听. Hundreds of school children are also self-isolating after听听at a primary school.
In the Northern Territory, a lockdown was听听after a mine worker tested positive and Queensland is听, with several听听over the past few days and a growing number of听.
In Western Australia, Perth and Peel have gone into a听听from midnight Monday for at least four days.
, Tasmania and South Australia have no new local COVID-19 cases. However, at least 29 workers from the听听are now in South Australia, with tests yet to be completed.
Refining New Zealand鈥檚 response
New 茄子视频app官网remains听听to a new COVID-19 outbreak than ever before, largely due to the emergence of new听.
In the UK, the delta variant now accounts for听. Public health experts in New 茄子视频app官网have called for an urgent听听of the country鈥檚 alert level system and contact tracing, as well as an acceleration of the vaccine rollout, to听.
The Australian outbreaks should add urgency to these calls. Two people have already听听who were potentially exposed to an Australian miner with COVID-19. They are in isolation and are being tested.
础听听found 80% of New Zealanders think the government got restrictions right 鈥 more than any other surveyed country. New 茄子视频app官网has used the 鈥溾, which applies several layers of barriers and safeguards to protect people from the virus.
Many layers of our COVID-19 defence now听. Until now, we鈥檝e had a reactive approach to QR scanning, with听. The only increases in QR scanning followed outbreaks or COVID-19 scares.
Yesterday, cabinet commissioned advice on听. This may have to become part of life, just like checking IDs at a bar.
Cabinet is also looking into听听in more settings at alert level 2 and above. Face coverings may be particularly useful when physical distancing is not possible.
Bursting the travel bubble
The current pause is justified. Let us remind ourselves of the devastation caused beyond our听听and how quickly the less transmissible original strain of COVID-19 spread around New 茄子视频app官网from March 2020 onwards.
The new delta variant is听听than the alpha strain, which itself was more contagious than the original virus.
Things can change quickly and the current pause has allowed experts the time to assess the听. It has also bought us valuable time to听听hopefully beyond just requiring听听from Australia and treats the risk of a delta variant outbreak听.
Based on the uncertain and complex situation emerging across several Australian states, the reopening of the trans-Tasman bubble may remain difficult. The government has made it clear from the start that New 茄子视频app官网travellers听听in Australia. The data that emerges from Australia over the next few days will be crucial in determining how and when travel can resume safely.
This article was originally published on听.听
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