New Zealand Puts On Hold Managed Return Flights From Australia's New South Wales

WELLINGTON, July 9 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 9th Jul, 2021 ) :Rising case numbers in Australia's New South Wales (NSW) has changed public health advice and means flights back from NSW will not start from midnight Friday as was intended, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said on Friday.

"Case numbers in Sydney show no sign of plateauing and NSW has today ramped up restrictions again," Hipkins told a press conference.

New Zealand has moved to act on new advice to hold off on managed return flights from the state for three more days, Hipkins said.

As a result, work is underway to stage flights from July 13 to Auckland and Christchurch airports only. Fourteen days at managed isolation and quarantine facilities (MIQ) will be a temporary requirement for travelers from NSW from Tuesday, he said.

"This was a difficult decision but we consider it is necessary given the heightened risk in NSW," he added.

New Zealand is "strongly advising people not to fly to Sydney unless they normally live there and are returning home," the minister said, adding the quarantine free travel bubble pause with NSW remains in place.

Managed return flights from Australia's Queensland will continue as planned from midnight Friday, and indications are that the quarantine free travel pause with Queensland will lift early next week, he said.