Australia-New Zealand Immediately Opens Two-Way Travel

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JAKARTA - New Zealand has agreed in principle to form the travel bubble that its neighbor, Australia, is eagerly looking forward to. However, there is still no definite date when it will start.

Citing CNN, Monday, December 14, New Zealand Prime Minister (PM) Jacinda Ardern said a travel bubble was expected in the first quarter of 2021. A travel bubble allows people to travel between the two countries without having to go through a mandatory 14-day quarantine.

Since October, travelers from New Zealand have been allowed to travel quarantine-free to certain destinations in Australia. But they still have to go into quarantine after returning to New Zealand.

Ardern's announcement suggests a travel bubble, which has been discussed for months and has been widely anticipated by people in both countries, will eventually allow two-way quarantine-free travel. Australia and New Zealand have some of the strictest border rules in the world.

The two countries have almost completely closed borders to foreigners since March. The two countries also require citizens returning from abroad to undergo a 14-day quarantine at state facilities at their own expense.

But the strict measures also show Australia and New Zealand have been relatively successful in containing the COVID-19 outbreak. Australia has reported 28,000 cases of COVID-19, including 908 deaths. While New Zealand has reported 1,740 cases and 25 deaths.

Ardern said the travel bubble was dependent on confirmation from the Australian cabinet and "there is no significant change in the circumstances of the two countries." Ardern emphasized that the government plans to set a time for the travel bubble in 2021.

"I think for now New Zealanders generally appreciate the government's approach to ensuring that we don't take unnecessary risks as we enter the much-needed summer and summer vacations New Zealanders need," Ardern said.

Travel bubble decisions are seen as important, both for tourism and for those living far from home. Although the two countries are separated by about 2,000 kilometers of sea area, the two countries have close ties to the world's bilateral ties.

Australian passport holders can travel and work in New Zealand indefinitely and without a visa. Vice versa. It is estimated that 670 thousand New Zealanders live in Australia or about 15 percent of New Zealand's population.

Meanwhile, about 70 thousand Australians live in New Zealand. For New Zealanders, the travel bubble provides more tourism options outside of domestic destinations, including the Chatham Islands, an archipelago about 500 miles south of New Zealand. The island has seen a surge in tourism this year.

Ardern's announcement comes two days after New Zealand announced plans to launch quarantine-free travel with the Cook Islands in the first quarter of next year. Cook Islands is a Pacific Island which is about 2,000 miles or about four hours flight from Auckland, New Zealand.

The Cook Islands have self-governing free relations with New Zealand. Residents have a New Zealand passport and can work and live in New Zealand. Three times as many Cook Islands residents live in New Zealand than on the Cook Islands themselves.