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NEW ZEALAND IS ending a requirement for incoming travellers to isolate themselves as it continues to remove coronavirus border protections in the face of a growing domestic outbreak.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the requirement that vaccinated travellers should isolate for a week after arriving would end on Wednesday.
Initially the changes will apply only to returning New Zealanders, as tourists are still not allowed to visit.
Travellers will still need to test negative for the virus before leaving and after arriving.
“I know this will be welcome news to the members of our team overseas, eager to travel home to see loved ones as soon as possible,” Ardern said. “We can’t wait to see you.”
The changes were welcomed by the tourism industry, although leaders wanted more certainty over when tourists could return.
International tourism used to account for about 20% of New Zealand’s foreign income but has evaporated since the pandemic began.
Ardern said her cabinet was considering fully reopening the borders to tourists sooner than the current scheduled date of July for Australians and October for those from elsewhere in the world.
Earlier this month, the government announced it was ending the requirement that most incoming travellers spend time in quarantine hotel rooms run by the military.
For now, that requirement remains for unvaccinated travellers.
New Zealand enacted some of the world’s strictest border controls when the pandemic began. The measures were initially credited with saving thousands of lives and allowed New Zealand to eliminate or contain several outbreaks.
But the controls have increasingly been viewed as out-of-step in a world where the virus is becoming endemic, and in a country where it is now spreading rapidly.
New Zealand has been recording about 15,000 cases of Covid-19 per day, up from 2,000 just 10 days ago as an outbreak of the Omicron variant spreads.
Some political opponents of Ardern have long called for a loosening of border restrictions and welcomed the move, although they said it should also apply immediately to tourists.
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39 hour contracts and €20 per hour might resolve the issue. Proper pay and conditions for all workers
@Thomas O’Connor: don’t worry the bosses will still get their huge pay and expenses etc.
So many instructions. Come early for your flight, don’t come too early for your flights. What an absolute mess!!!
@Thomas Meaney: That’s just 2 instructions?
@Thomas Meaney: you’re right, so many instructions but they haven’t got a clue what they’re doing. we were flying out last Friday at 6am. Got to the airport at 2.30am as instructed – 3.5 hours before departure time. Aer Lingus bag drop didn’t open until 3am,security didn’t open until 4am – not a member of staff to be seen or an announcement been made. Shambles.
@Thomas O’ Donnell: good man. Straight to the top of the class and collect a gold star.
And don’t forget to try get parking, completely sold out. Some car parks(including staff ones) still not open since covid. Covid test centre getting priority still. Well done DAA. You’ve been caught with you pants down, trying to be smart and pay off staff and employ new ones on cheap contracts. And a new runway with further capacity, place will be in a right heap.
@Peter O Donnell: They do hold about 20% back for those who turn up, only downside is it’s 12 euro per day. Happened to me back in October, Red car park full so ended up paying the 12 euro for a 6 week trip.
@Dermot Walsh: what car park was 12euro per day?
@Dermot Walsh: €12 per day, sounds quite cheap. I paid €90 for last weekend, that was in the short term.
@Elaine Fagan: fair play to you for coming on here and admitting that you’re a complete numpty.
@Pat Kelly: ???
@Pat Kelly: Smart Numpty, that’s me, you’re right. What I pay for parking is cheaper than public transport and or taxis to and from the airport.
@Elaine Fagan: And it would be cheaper still if you parked in the long term car park. €90 for parking over the weekend would suggest that either
(A) you’re not short of dosh or
(B) you just don’t get it.
Short termism yet again. You’d think they’d have anticipated this when they laid off all those staff originally. Now the customer is penalised because DAA couldn’t get their act together.
Arrive at least 3.5 hours before your flight, unless your flight is before 8am. Then arrive not too early, but early enough…
@Ciarán O’ Donoghue: reminds me of Boris Johnson’s covid advice: you must stay home unless…
They’ve ruined what used to be a fantastic service and great place to work. Ceo Dalton Philips has to go!
Does anyone know if Dublin Express coach service to Dublin Airport picks up passengers at Heuston Station? Their website says they do, but there’s no sign outside the station (where the other buses stop) for them.
The Husband travelled on Sunday and said security was fine, no queues. But when he got through security, there was no food in the pub or restaurants because so many people had arrived so long before their flight! There wasn’t even sandwiches in the US area. They told people to come early and now its causing a whole different problem.
Sounds like a wheel of fortune too early one day,too late the next.
They have been advertising on Facebook for weeks now looking for security staff, they disabled the comments section because of the abuse they were getting!
Daa management need to go. This is disgraceful. No respect for travellers. In a normal airport 1 hrs with only hand baggage should be enough. Management are clearly unprofessional. The government should take issue and hire people who have professionally managed efficient airports such as Singapore Zurich, Abuja
Think: ‘Goldy Locke’s Porraige’ but with a passport. Apologies for incorrect spelling of Porraige’
Arrived at 540am this morning , 5 minutes through security, Terminal 1, all very efficient
@Clive Bellows: They’re talking about Easter, Clive. That’s the weekend, not today.
Come early mantra always suited them before. Nothing to do with the added benefit of funneling people through a shopping centre with extra time on there hands…
have your say