New Zealand suspends travel bubble with Australia

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced a total pause on the trans-Tasman travel bubble, amid ongoing COVID-19 outbreaks in Australia.

Australians will be unable to travel to New Zealand quarantine-free for at least eight weeks.

The bubble was already closed to travellers flying into New Zealand from New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia.

“From 11.59pm tonight Australians will no longer be able to enter New Zealand quarantine-free, this will be in place for the next eight weeks,” Ms Ardern said.

More than 200,000 people have taken advantage of the travel bubble since it began.

There will be managed return flights over the next seven days for New Zealand residents who are currently in Australia.

“We have acted with an abundance of caution at every turn, and we will continue to do so,” the New Zealand Prime Minister said.

“There is greater risk now from the Delta variant than there was when we opened the quarantine-free travel bubble with Australia.”