Home » News » NZ suspends entire trans-Tasman bubble, as states and territories introduce new border restrictions

28 June, 2021

NZ suspends entire trans-Tasman bubble, as states and territories introduce new border restrictions

Sydney, Australia - February 12, 2019: Qantas and Air New Zealand aircraft tail.

New Zealand has suspended quarantine-free travel from Australia until at least Wednesday, following multiple cases and outbreaks across the country.

Kiwi COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said the pause would take place from 10:30pm local time on Saturday night until 11:59pm local time on Tuesday.

New Zealand paused quarantine-free travel from NSW for an initial 72-hour period from last Tuesday night, but Hipkins said outbreaks in “differing stages of containment” across Australia creating an increased risk.

“I acknowledge the frustration and inconvenience that comes with this pause, but given the high level of transmissibility of what appears to be the Delta variant, and the fact that there are now multiple community clusters, it is the right thing to do to keep COVID-19 out of New Zealand,” he said.

Locally, Australia’s states and territories introduced a spate of new travel restrictions over the weekend in response to the increase in locally transmitted cases.

Here’s where your clients can and can’t travel at the moment:

South Australia has closed its border to those coming from NSW, Queensland, the Northern Territory and Western Australia, with the exception of returning South Australians and essential travellers. Regional Victoria and those from Greater Melbourne will need to be tested on arrival.

Tasmania is the only state with unrestricted entry to the state.

New South Wales has plunged Greater Sydney, the Blue Mountains, the Central Coast, Wollongong and Shellharbour into a two-week lockdown from Saturday, restricting travel both within and out of the state for those in affected areas.

Interstate arrivals are still being welcomed in NSW but travellers from Victoria will require a permit.

Victoria still requires interstate travellers from all states to apply for a permit, however, travellers coming from red zones including Greater Sydney, Wollongong and Darwin have been banned from entering the state.

The Northern Territory also requires all interstate travellers to apply for a permit, and placed a travel ban on greater Sydney, the Blue Mountains and Wollongong.

The state ordered a 48-hour lockdown for Greater Darwin on Sunday after a cluster of cases surfaced in connection with a gold mine worker who tested positive on Friday night.

Western Australia has reinstated its ban on travellers from NSW and those travelling to the state from Victoria, the Northern Territory, the ACT and Queensland must quarantine for 14 days and be tested.

Tasmania and South Australia can still travel to Western Australia quarantine-free.

Queensland has extended its entry ban on those from greater Sydney, the Central Coast, Blue Mountains, Wollongong and Shellharbour. All other interstate travellers must complete a travel declaration form three days prior to arrival in Queensland, including NSW border zone residents.

The state has also introduced mandatory masks at work and on public transport for people across 11 government areas after a miner who tested positive to the Delta strain spent a day on the Sunshine Coast while contagious.

The ACT has banned travellers from all of greater Sydney, the Blue Mountains, the Central Coast and Wollongong since Friday. Victorians must complete a declaration form before arriving, as do those from Queensland who casual exposure location. Queenslanders who have visited a close contact exposure location are banned from entering the ACT.

Tasmania also closed its borders to travellers from greater Sydney over the weekend, along with those who have visited exposure sites in the ACT, NSW, Queensland and Victoria. All other arrivals into the state must provide contact and travel details.

Featured image source: iStock/ai_yoshi

Advertise with us

Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au

covid outbreak domestic travel new zealand nz quarantine-free travel trans-tasman bubble travel bubble