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The country’s managed isolation facilities are now fully booked until after Christmas.
There has been an increase in people returning home during the holidays and as of this morning more than 32,000 people had secured a spot.
From Tuesday, travelers must have a voucher for a bed in a facility before boarding an international flight to New Zealand.
A spokesperson for Managed Isolation said there were no coupons available now until Boxing Day and that the facility was operating at full capacity.
“We have been through a period of low demand, but with the Christmas holidays fast approaching, we are heading into a period of peak demand where MIQ [managed isolation and quarantine] the facilities will be operating at capacity, “the spokesperson said in a statement.
While New Zealanders could still return home, they may not be able to get the dates they prefer, the spokesperson said.
Some people have described to RNZ the disappointment of not being able to spend Christmas with their families because there is no space in the managed seclusion hotels.
They include Kimberlee Everett, who was expected to travel from Perth with her five-month-old daughter. She said it was a “huge disappointment” when she realized there was no capacity.
The country has 32 managed isolation hotels that can accommodate 6,260 people at any one time, allowing a 24-hour response time and deep cleaning between each guest.
