Covid 19 coronavirus: Transtasman travel bubble demands after Cook Islands announcement

A New Zealand airline executive has called for a travel bubble with Australia because it represents an equal “risk” for the Cook Islands, which Jacinda Ardern opened today to kiwis.

The executive director of the Board of New Zealand Airlines Representatives (BARNZ), Justin Tighe-Umbers, applauded the move to allow kiwis to travel to the Cook Islands without being quarantined.

But Tighe-Umbers says the move justifies a trans-tasman bubble as soon as possible.

“Cook Islands – great! Now let’s make the transtasman bubble work too and use a country risk-based model to bring together family and friends from both sides of Tasmania,” Tighe-Umbers said.

“Taking a risk-based approach for countries like the Cooks makes perfect sense. It allows travelers who pose no risk to New Zealand to enter the country directly and frees up valuable quarantine accommodations.”

“Australia represents a similar low risk to the Cook Islands and hundreds of New Zealand companies are desperate for the rebound that a bubble would bring.”

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and her Cook Islands counterpart Mark Brown have instructed officials to continue to work together to implement all necessary measures to safely restart non-quarantined round trips in the first quarter. of the next year.

“The agreement recognizes the special ties between New Zealand and the Cook Islands. It will allow people to more easily travel between our two countries, while recognizing that the priority remains to protect our populations from Covid-19,” Ardern said.

Tighe-Umbers said an Australian travel bubble was urgently needed to save struggling airlines.

“The Cook Islands are ideal for testing the safe zone concept, but quickly following it up with an Australian safe zone will be critical to keeping beleaguered airlines and the broader aviation industry in business,” said Tighe-Umbers.

Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown welcomed the progress, noting that the free movement of people between New Zealand and the Cook Islands was critical to the countries ‘close relationship and integral to the Cook Islands’ recovery from the impact of Covid-19.

First step

The Cook Islands remains one of the few countries in the world and the Pacific region that remains totally free from Covid-19.

As a result, the first step for the new agreement will involve New Zealand officials working to implement quarantine-free access to New Zealand for anyone traveling from the Cook Islands.

This will be the first time that someone arriving from a different country will not have to go through mandatory 14-day administered isolation.

That first step is part of a “phased approach,” according to a statement.

Ardern said: “Quarantine-free access for Cook Islands travelers to New Zealand will allow for the movement of people to provide essential services, while allowing officials to finalize preparations for a safe return to round-trip without quarantine”.