New Zealand Prime Minister Ardern: "Border May Remain Closed Throughout This Year"

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern [Photo by Reuters]

[Asia Economy Reporter Byunghee Park] New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has expressed the possibility of maintaining border closures throughout this year.

According to Bloomberg on the 26th (local time), Prime Minister Ardern said at a press conference held in the capital Wellington, "At this point, other countries could pose significant risks to New Zealand's health and economy," adding, "This is expected to affect the border for most of this year."

New Zealand is considered a model country in epidemic prevention. So far, the cumulative confirmed cases are about 2,300, and the total deaths are only 25. By closing the borders and mandating all entrants to stay in government quarantine facilities for two weeks, New Zealand has minimized COVID-19 infections through strong prevention measures.

Prime Minister Ardern emphasized a cautious approach to allowing foreign nationals to enter. She stated that to lift entry restrictions, it must be confirmed that vaccinated individuals do not transmit COVID-19 to others, or that there are enough vaccinated people to safely protect the population.

Ardern also said preparations for COVID-19 vaccination are underway and expects regulatory approval for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine as early as next week. She added that herd immunity is expected to be achievable only after mid-year.

While closing its borders, New Zealand is promoting a so-called travel bubble with Australia (a quarantine-free travel zone). The two countries confirm that the risk of COVID-19 is low between them and aim to allow free travel. Australia had allowed free travel for entrants from New Zealand since last year but suspended this policy this week after one community transmission case was reported in New Zealand in about two months.

Ardern expressed regret over Australia's decision, stating that New Zealand's quarantine measures are well controlled. She said that pursuing a travel bubble on a country-to-country basis with Australia is becoming increasingly difficult and that they are considering promoting travel bubbles on a state-by-state basis.