New Zealand reopens borders after a prolonged pandemic closure

• New Zealand’s borders are now completely open.
• Officials in charge of immigration will resume accepting tourists and those with student permits.
• Jacinda Ardern, the prime minister, called it an “enormous moment”.

New Zealand: For the first time since March 2020, when they were closed to try to keep Covid-19 out, New Zealand’s borders are completely open.

The officials in charge of immigration will now resume accepting visa-holding tourists and those with student permits.

Jacinda Ardern, the prime minister, referred to it as a “enormous moment” and said that it was a part of a “cautious process.”

There is no need for quarantine, but the majority of tourists will still need to be properly immunized.

The country’s marine border has also been restored, allowing cruise liners and international pleasure yachts to make port there.

In February, New Zealand first revealed its phased reopening strategy. It permitted vaccinated citizens to leave Australia that month and enabled individuals from other countries to leave and return in March.

It began to accept visitors in May from more than 50 nations that were on a list for visa exemptions.

“We, alongside the rest of the world, continue to manage a very live global pandemic, while keeping our people safe,” Ms. Ardern said in a speech at the China Business Summit in Auckland on Monday.

“But keeping people safe extends to incomes and wellbeing too.”

One of the sectors that New Zealand’s strict Covid regulations had the biggest impact on was tourism.

The industry’s contribution to the GDP fell from 5.5 percent the previous year to 2.9 percent in the year ending March 2021.

According to government figures, foreign tourism was particularly hard hit, falling 91.5 percent, or NZ$16.2 billion ($10.2 billion; £8.4 billion), to NZ$1.5 billion.

Over 72,000 fewer persons were directly employed in tourism over this time period.

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