Queensland removes New Zealand as ‘safe travel country’, travelers must now quarantine

Queensland has removed New Zealand as a “safe travel country,” Queensland Health announced.

New Zealand travelers arriving in Queensland today from 6pm local time will be required to complete the quarantine after the state removes New Zealand’s “safe travel country” status.

According to Queensland Health, the move comes after the Australian Main Health Protection Committee (AHPPC) was informed that the level of risk in New Zealand had increased.

“Unfortunately, in recent days New Zealand has been registering some new positive cases, so we closed the border starting at 6 pm,” said Dr. Jeannette Young.

“Anyone who is allowed to travel to Queensland from New Zealand will need to self-quarantine upon arrival.

“Being very cautious has kept Queenslanders safe and that is exactly 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, so I ask Queenslanders to reconsider their need to travel to New Zealand.”

Queensland Health has also advised all travelers who have been in New Zealand since February 21 to come forward, get tested, and self-isolate until results are recovered.

The announcement comes after new community cases of Covid-19 linked yesterday to the Papatoetoe cluster.

Young said New Zealand is still at a “critical stage” in its response to the latest outbreak.

“New Zealand is working very hard to contain this community transmission, but they are still at a critical stage in their response, so we must continue to watch closely,” he said.

“Things can change very quickly with this virus – we have seen it in other countries around the world, so I ask Queenslanders to reconsider their need to travel to New Zealand.”

Queensland was quick to announce the change even though there were no new community cases in New Zealand on Wednesday.

Health Director General Dr. Ashley Bloomfield said today “continues as usual,” with no community cases and no evidence to advise Cabinet to increase alert levels.

Bloomfield said yesterday’s news of new cases was “disturbing” but that the government’s contact tracing system was working well.

There are now 11 community cases in New Zealand; all are in the Jet Park MIQ and all share a “very close” genome sequencing.

Yesterday over 600 people were tested at Papatoetoe High School.

Queensland’s tough stance contrasts with New South Wales after Prime Minister Gladys Berejiklian asked Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to “return the favor” and open a transtasman bubble with Australia.

At a press conference yesterday, Berejiklian said New Zealanders must now “return the favor” to Australians after Scott Morrison resumed permitting New Zealanders to enter Australia without quarantine.

She said they have been embracing New Zealanders for some time and that it is time for Ardern and his government “to do their part” to create a two-way transtasman bubble.

“I’ve always expected Prime Minister Ardern to return the favor to New South Wales because we have certainly been accepting New Zealanders since October / November last year,” Berejiklian told the media.

Since then, he has lobbied the New Zealand government to move, saying that there is no reason why a bubble cannot exist now.

“I have always been robust and confident in our ability to have a transtasman bubble. I hope that will happen sooner rather than later. There is no reason why it can’t,” Berejiklian said.

New Zealand is considered a “green zone”, except in Queensland, which allows Kiwis to travel freely to Australia, while the rest of the world is in the “red zone”.