Overview
Kiwis stuck at work today might want to spend a few hours dreamingly planning holidays and pinning overseas photos to their Pinterest boards.
New Zealand's planned five-step border reopening plan has been brought forward this week, with isolation requirements for fully-vaccinated Kiwis returning home scrapped.
The Prime Minister announced the change of plans among New Zealand's current Omicron outbreak, which sees the small country currently suffering the highest rates of COVID-19 transmission in the world.
From 11:59pm on Wednesday, March 2, vaccinated Kiwis entering New Zealand from Australia will no longer need to self-isolate.
Step two of the original plan saw New Zealanders and other eligible travellers from the rest of the world allowed to enter from March 14, with strict, week-long self-isolation enforced. That has been brought forward to 11.59pm on Friday, March 4 and isolation requirements have again been removed, meaning those who return home to Aotearoa from their big OEs this weekend can head straight out into the community.
Of course, during all five steps, testing will remain critical. Every traveller will be required to undertake a rapid antigen test (RAT) on the day they arrive and on day five or six. All positive RATs must be registered and followed up with a PCR test.
But Australians holidaymakers shouldn't get planning a quick weekend jump across the ditch just yet. Vaccinated Aussie citizens wanting a holiday in New Zealand still have to wait for step four of the border reopening plan, which at this stage still seems to be positioned to open around July 2022.
New Zealand had 19, 599 new cases reported on Tuesday, March 1, with over 300 cases currently in hospital.
Kiwis returning to New Zealand from Australia will not need to isolate upon arrival from 11.59pm on Wednesday, while NZ returnees from the rest of the world will not need to isolate upon arrival from 11.59pm on Friday. For more information, head to the Government's COVID-19 website.
Top image: Tourism Australia