Covid-19

The Royal Commission will start considering evidence in February and conclude in mid-2024, with a report to follow.

The government is ending the requirement for visitors travelling by air to fill out the online New Zealand Traveller Declaration (NZTD) from this Thursday 20 October.

Masks are no longer required on Metlink’s bus, rail, ferry, and total mobility services, but remain strongly recommended on public transport.

Operators can now make their own health and safety decisions for staff and customers.

The govt no longer requires proof of vaccination for visitors coming to NZ but travellers should check with their airline’s requirements.

ACT Party leader David Seymour is calling for the government to remove all vaccination requirements because he believes they are preventing visitors from returning to New Zealand.

Auckland Business Chamber chief executive Michael Barnett is calling for the removal of self-isolation rules for household contacts because he believes it is causing “business long Covid” during the winter.

The government is making rapid antigen tests and masks freely available to anyone who needs them as part of several changes to tackle the second Covid-19 Omicron wave and influenza.

Air New Zealand is offering flight credit to domestic and international travellers affected by illness or as a result of flight cancellations due to staff illness.

Auckland Transport is reducing the number of rail bus services as driver shortages and illness force the operator to reduce timetables.

New Covid-19 cases in Niue have been linked to a flight from New Zealand.

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The government’s mandatory vaccination requirement for all border workers and corrections staff will end on 2 July.

Visitors heading to New Zealand can now skip the hassle of having a pre-departure Covid-19 test.

Border workers will no longer need to be tested for Covid-19 from 11:59pm on Thursday 30 June.

The removal of the requirement at midnight Monday arrives in time for the start of the southern ski season.

The US is no longer requiring visitors travelling by air to undertake pre-departure testing for Covid-19, leaving NZ somewhat lagging behind as a country largely open for tourism with the restriction in place.

Sustainability, collaboration, and new approaches to attracting domestic visitors have come to the fore in one of the hardest hit tourism regions.

The Covid orange traffic light setting is not a constraint or handbrake to accelerating business recovery and growth, says Auckland Business Chamber chief executive Michael Barnett.

Accommodation and food services had the highest proportion of jobs supported by wage subsidies in 2021, says a new report.

Industry groups are calling on the government to scrap the requirement for travellers to take a pre-departure test before flying to New Zealand.

Air New Zealand and the government will trial a new Covid-19 testing solution, coinciding the the arrival of more visitors back into New Zealand.

Why are business travellers more at risk?

A lack of travel confidence among domestic travellers contributed to a 23% drop to 72,895 in passengers flowing through Queenstown Airport in March 2022, compared to the same time last year.

The government will provide people who have a genuine reason for not being able to wear a face mask with a new personalised exemption card from the end of May.

And from 1 May, it will also remove its ‘no jab, no fly’ vaccination policy for international customers.

Bars, cafes, and restaurants will be able to fill up again with capacity and seating rules lifted, says Chris Hipkins.

New Zealanders unable to travel throughout the country during 2020’s Covid-19 lockdowns saw a reduction in emissions, according to Greenhouse Gas Inventory report from the Ministry for the Environment.

Vertically integrating tourism with other industries can help reduce its vulnerability in future crises, according to new research.

Auckland Airport is urging travellers to plan ahead for Easter and school holidays by making sure they understand any entry requirements for their international destination well ahead of their departure date, and prioritise certified pre-departure testing through community pharmacies and healthcare providers.

Auckland Business Chamber is calling out the government on its announcement regarding the change to the orange traffic light setting this week.

Hospitality businesses continue to struggle at the hands of the government’s decision to keep the country in the red setting, say industry players.

It means capacity limits for indoor gatherings, events and hospitality venues remain capped at 200 people.

The Department of Conservation is suspending its requirement for people to be fully vaccinated to use its accommodation, in line with updated public health guidance.

Today marks the last day for vaccination pass requirements, with Cabinet set to review the country’s traffic light settings.

The Government has launched a new targeted rural service for rapid antigen tests for those who live in remote rural areas as it looks to make testing more widely available.

Covid-19 vaccine passes will no longer be a requirement of entry at any Waitomo District Council owned and managed facility come 4 April.

Taitokerau Northland leaders are calling on Tourism Minister Stuart Nash to extend the $49m Tourism Kick-start Fund to support hard-hit tourism and hospitality in the region.

Wellington and central New Zealand businesses plan to remove QR code tracer and vaccine pass requirements from 5 April, but changes to the Covid Protection Framework will have little impact, shows a survey.

The government is scaling back its managed isolation and quarantine voucher booking system as decommissions its MIQ operations.

Some operators are ready to relax rules, while others are still deciding, with Air NZ saying it is not announcing any change yet.

Councils across the country are making changes to their Covid-19 rules following the government’s easing of restrictions.

Vaccine mandates will also be scrapped for most workplaces, says Jacinda Ardern.

to announce changes to New Zealand’s Covid settings, including vaccine passes, mandates, and the Covid Protection Framework, on Wednesday.

The vaccine pass will still be required at some facilities, including the Taupō Events Centre.

Queenstown Airport and the Southern District Health Board are setting up a pop-up, drive-through vaccine clinic, primarily for the 1500 people affected by a botched vaccine storage error last December and January.

Chris Hipkins says there needs to be a balance between control and essential goods and services continuing.

The department has missed out on almost $1m from its Great Walks, compared to the mostly pre-Covid 2019-20 season.

More than 1500 people who received a Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine in Queenstown Lakes and Central Otago may not be fully protected after the doses were stored incorrectly, the Southern District Health Board says.

The Rhythm and Vines Easter event has been cancelled.