Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Tourists To Arrive Within Weeks – Expert Reaction
New Zealand’s doors to the world will widen earlier than expected – from mid-April for Australia.
The country’s border is set to open for tourists and others from Australia without residence visas from midnight 12 April, and travellers from visa-waiver countries such as the US and UK will be welcomed from 2 May – with mandatory vaccination and a negative pre-departure test. This move brings forward the original timetable. No new date was set for the rest of the world to travel here.
The SMC asked experts to comment.
Dr David Welch, Senior Lecturer, Centre for Computational Evolution and School of Computer Science, University of Auckland, comments:
“With borders reopening more widely and the consequent large rise in the number of travellers coming into the country, we can expect to see any new major variants that arise around the world to spread here fairly quickly. We will no longer have the luxury of time to watch and prepare as any new variants take hold overseas.
“We will need to increase and improve our local surveillance efforts, including genomic surveillance of variants circulating in the community.
“The current system worked well with tightly managed borders and the relatively small outbreaks we saw up to February 2022.
“Now with a much higher number of cases in the community and new cases arriving with travellers who are not going through MIQ, the genomic surveillance system is struggling to cope.
“A gold-standard genomic surveillance system would sequence most cases who were recent arrivals, most hospitalised cases, and a random sample of cases found in the community. To implement such a system will require coordination between testing labs, DHBs, and sequencing facilities and will need appropriate resourcing.
“Genomic surveillance is a key tool in understanding and controlling the threat posed by COVID. We should be making it a core part of our ongoing response.”
Conflict of interest statement: “My University has received funding from MBIE, HRC, and MoH for my work analysing and reporting on COVID genomics.”
Professor Michael Plank, Te Pūnaha Matatini and University of Canterbury, comments:
“Closing the border was one the first and most important measures New Zealand took to stop the virus in 2020. For the last two years, border restrictions have been an essential part of our strategy.
“Fully reopening the border with no quarantine requirements is a huge milestone, but it doesn’t mean the pandemic is over. We can’t completely forget about Covid-19 and we still need a toolbox of sustainable measures to control transmission of the virus in the community.
“However, the fact that New Zealand now has comparable levels of infection as other countries means that border restrictions are no longer an effective tool for reducing community transmission. Even several hundred border cases per day likely wouldn’t make a big difference to the remainder of the current Omicron wave.
“Things may change if and when the next variant of concern comes along. This is why all international arrivals will need to be tested. This means we can keep a close eye on what is happening at the border, and we can detect and respond to a new variant as quickly as possible.”
Conflict of interest statement: Michael Plank is partly funded by the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet for research on mathematical modelling of COVID-19.
Science Media Centre NZ
Our aim is to promote accurate, evidence-based reporting on science and technology by helping the media work more closely with the scientific community.
The Science Media Centre is New Zealand's only trusted, independent source of information for the media on all issues related to science. Thousands of news stories providing context from and quoting New Zealand researchers have been published as a direct result of our work.
Gordon Campbell: On The Costs Of Regulating Cost, And Burkina Faso As A Role Model
Dog Lovers of Monte Cecilia: Locals Challenge Puketāpapa Local Board And Auckland Council’s On-Leash Policy Change For Monte Cecilia Park
Maritime New Zealand: Three Rescued In High-Seas Operation After Vessel Abandoned North Of New Zealand
Health Coalition Aotearoa: Experts Urge Fix As Government Expands Failing Lunch Scheme To Primary Schools
Helen Clark Foundation: The Helen Clark Foundation Launches Honorary Fellow Programme
Department of Conservation: Call For Public Information On Auckland Marine Mammal Cases
New Zealand Jewish Council: NZ Jewish Council Clarifies Position - Advocating For Safety And Accountability, Not Censorship
