Queensland has removed New Zealand as a “safe travel country”, Queensland Health announced.
Travelers from New Zealand arriving in Queensland starting at 6pm local time today must complete quarantine after the state removed New Zealand’s “country of safe travel” status.
Queensland Health said the move came after the Main Committee on Health Protection of Australia (AHPPC) was notified that the level of risk in New Zealand had increased.
“Unfortunately, over the last few days, New Zealand has recorded several new positive cases, which is why we closed the border starting at 6pm,” said Dr. Jeannette Young.
“Anyone permitted to travel to Queensland from New Zealand will be asked to quarantine on arrival.
“Acting with extreme care has kept Queenslanders safe and that is the path we will continue to take.
“Things can change very quickly with this virus – we have seen it in other countries around the world, which is why I am asking Queenslanders to reconsider their need to travel to New Zealand.”
Queensland Health also recommends all travelers who have been in New Zealand since February 21 to go ahead, undergo testing and self-isolate until their results return.
The announcement came following the case of the Covid-19 community yesterday which was related to the Papatoetoe cluster.
Young said New Zealand was still at a “critical stage” in responding to the latest outbreak.
“New Zealand is working very hard to contain this community transmission, but they are still in a critical stage of their response so we need to keep an eye on it,” he said.
“Things can change very quickly with this virus – we have seen it in other countries around the world, which is why I am asking Queenslanders to reconsider their need to travel to New Zealand.”
Queensland was quick to announce the changes even though there were no new community cases in New Zealand on Wednesday.
Health director general Dr Ashley Bloomfield said today was “business as usual” with no community case and no evidence would lead him to advise the Cabinet to raise its alert level.
Bloomfield said yesterday’s news of new cases was “unsettling” but the Government’s contact tracing system was working well.
There are 11 community cases in New Zealand now – all in Jet Park MIQ and all sharing “very close” genome sequencing.
There were more than 600 people tested at Papatoetoe High School yesterday.
Queensland’s tough stance was different from NSW after Prime Minister Gladys Berejiklian asked Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to “return the favor” and open a transtasman bubble with Australia.
In a press conference yesterday, Berejiklian said the Kiwi must now “return the favor” to Australians after Scott Morrison again allowed New Zealanders to enter Australia without quarantine.
He said they had been welcoming New Zealanders for some time and it was time Ardern and his Government “pulled their load” in creating a two-way transtasman bubble.
“I always hope Prime Minister Ardern returns the favor to NSW because we have definitely accepted New Zealanders since October / November last year,” Berejiklian told the media.
He has since pressured the New Zealand Government to move, saying there was no reason why a bubble couldn’t exist now.
“I’ve always been strong and confident about our ability to have a transtasy bubble. I hope it happens sooner rather than later. There’s no reason why not,” said Berejiklian.
New Zealand is considered a “green zone”, except in Queensland, which allows Kiwis to travel to Australia freely, while the rest of the world is in the “red zone”.