New Zealand's COVID-19 Managed Isolation Days For Overseas Arrivals Halved To 7

Fahad Shabbir (@FahadShabbir) Published October 28, 2021 | 12:42 PM

The New Zealand government is starting a phased easing of border restrictions that will see the time spent in a managed isolation and quarantine facility (MIQ) halved for fully vaccinated overseas arrivals from Nov. 14 and home isolation introduced in the first quarter of 2022 at the latest

WELLINGTON, Oct. 28 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 28th Oct, 2021 ) :The New Zealand government is starting a phased easing of border restrictions that will see the time spent in a managed isolation and quarantine facility (MIQ) halved for fully vaccinated overseas arrivals from Nov. 14 and home isolation introduced in the first quarter of 2022 at the latest.

The time overseas arrivals spend in MIQ facilities will be halved from 14 days to seven days followed by home isolation until they return a negative day 9 test, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins told a press conference on Thursday.

The vast majority of border cases have returned positive results within the first seven days, Hipkins said.

Over 183,000 New Zealanders have returned home through MIQ since border restrictions were put in place last year, stopping cases at the border for the last 18 months, Hipkins said.

"When MIQ was introduced, we didn't have the vaccine so every arrival posed a high level of risk. With most people returning now fully vaccinated the risk profile of international arrivals has changed so it is time to start changing our MIQ settings," he said.

Last week, New Zealand announced a pathway forward out of lockdowns with the new traffic light COVID-19 Protection Framework that will see an easing of restrictions once the country is 90 percent vaccinated. Thursday's easing of MIQ requirements is part of the country's broader plan to re-open New Zealand safely and reconnect with the world, he added.

From Nov. 14, arrivals will be tested on day 0/1, day 3, and day 6/7 testing, followed by a short period of self-isolation at home which is around three days, the minister said.