Coronavirus

Tourism leaders want to know how the Govt is planning to re-open the country’s borders.

Event organisers up and down the country have been forced to cancel, postpone or scramble to make changes.

Tourism businesses like TIME Unlimited had a rare busy week ahead leading up to the America’s Cup finals.

For the second year in a row, one of the city’s flagship events is pulled because of Covid.

The rest of New Zealand has shifted to Covid-19 alert level 2 following the latest community cases.

New mitigation measures at the Pullman Auckland have been introduced but the cause of three infections there is still unknown.

Tourism businesses in the region say it will take time for bookings to return.

The Government will review Auckland’s Covid-19 alert level 2 today with a decision to be announced by prime minister Jacinda Ardern at 3pm.

Final preparations are underway for phase 1 of the Covid-19 vaccine rollout, says Covid response minister Chris Hipkins.

Parliament has passed a new Resurgence Support Payment available to eligible businesses affected by Auckland’s latest Covid-19 lockdown and level 2.

The rest of New Zealand has shifted to Covid-19 alert level 1.

Napier’s Art Deco Festival has been cancelled due to the ongoing Covid-19 uncertainty.

Regional operators are being cut-off by Auckland as a visitor source and a transit point for those further afield.

Events up and down the country have been forced to cancel or impose restrictions after the latest Covid-19 community cases at Auckland.

Singapore Airlines has delivered the first batch of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine to New Zealand.

Businesses inside Auckland’s Covid-19 alert level 3 boundary can register online for travel documents.

Tourism businesses suffer mass cancellations again after Auckland shifts back to Covid-19 alert level 3.

Australia has also suspended quarantine-free travel from NZ until at least midnight Wednesday.

The rest of NZ shifts to level 2 after three Auckland cases, two of whom recently visited Taranaki attractions.

The first priority will be the country’s 12,000 border workers, says Jacinda Ardern.

Bleak post-summer prospects for Queenstown’s tourism sector have led to one of the resort’s long-standing canyoning operators temporarily shutting up shop.

The country’s border workers, including airline and managed isolation and quarantine hotel staff, will be the first to receive the Covid-19 vaccine, says the Government.

The MIQ facility will be gradually emptied while investigators try to uncover how guests are catching Covid.

DOC will expand the use of Covid-19 contact tracing QR codes after making them visible at all visitor centres and at serviced campsites.

Northland Inc’s tourism team says it will help “turn around the message” for operators following the new Covid case.

The ventilation systems of managed isolation hotels have come under the spotlight.

The Northland attraction closes for most of the week following a visit by a Covid-19 case.

Tourist operations The Kauri Museum and White Rock Gallery are among the 31 businesses visited.

The hard-hit industry breathes a collective sigh of relief over Auckland’s impending return to alert level 1.

The Tourism Futures Taskforce not presenting its final report until April next year is a “disgrace”, says Aroha New Zealand Tours.

Three family members who have tested positive for Covid-19 visited two attractions over the weekend.

The move means gatherings of up to 100 will be allowed in the country’s largest city.

The time was now to evaluate how to turn communities into supporters, rather than critics, of tourism.

The Ministry of Transport is still encouraging physical distancing on public transport even though it is no longer mandatory.

Physical distancing on public transport has eased but masks must still be worn, says PM Jacinda Ardern.

The rules cover entry into the country via air and maritime borders and the operation of managed isolation and quarantine facilities.

The rest of the country will stay at level 2 until at least midnight 16 September.

Wearing a face covering on public transport and planes will be compulsory at Covid-19 alert level 2 and above.

One in five businesses in the Manawatū remain significantly concerned about revenue, says CEDA.

It will take three years for the economy to recover from Covid-19, says the institute.

The collapse of international company STA Travel is a warning to customers and companies that buy travel products to seek suppliers with consumer protection.

Industry urges Govt to review social distancing rules on aircraft as services stop.

The extra four days at level 3 will allow the city to “move down and stay down”, says Jacinda Ardern.

The abrupt cessation of international tourism led to the collapse of 25-year-old inbound tour operator Naturally New Zealand Holidays Limited with around $600,000 owing to unsecured creditors outside the business.

The Government is rolling out additional security systems in its managed isolation and quarantine facilities at a cost of $6m.

It is the second attraction in a week told it has been visited by someone who later tests positive for the virus.

New Zealanders should be more worried about the economic shock of airlines pulling out of the country than the risk of contracting Covid-19 from air crew.

The hotel maintenance worker did not have routine contact with guests, says the Govt.

Westpac and NZIER analyse the cost of lockdowns and the impact on hard-hit tourism.

Two confirmed cases of Covid-19 and three probable cases have been reported in the South Waikato town of Tokoroa.