Pause On Quarantine-Free Travel From Victoria Extended; QFT With Queensland Continue

The pause on Quarantine-Free Travel from Victoria to New Zealand will be extended for now, the Ministry of Health has confirmed.

New Zealand health officials met again today and determined that, at this time, a better understanding is still needed of the developing situation in Victoria, including the number and pattern of COVID-19 cases. Victoria remains in lockdown and, with a growing number of people considered linked to the outbreak, Australian health authorities advise that further announcements for the state are expected tomorrow.

Quarantine-Free Travel with Queensland will remain in place – subject to no further significant developments – with officials deeming the state continues to pose a low COVID-19 public health risk to New Zealand.

New Zealand health officials are also closely monitoring the situation in South Australia, following a new case of COVID-19 today reported in the community.

Factors considered in reaching these decisions today included whether any new cases were identified, whether they were infectious in the community, and the results of COVID-19 testing of any contacts and from the wider community.

Ministry of Health public health staff remain in close contact with Australian health authorities about the actions being taken in each state.

Border controls, including pauses to Quarantine-Free Travel, remain a key tool for stopping the introduction and spread of new COVID-19 cases from overseas. The ongoing pause with Victoria is a precautionary – but necessary – measure while investigations continue.

The pause on Quarantine-Free Travel from Victoria and New South Wales will be reviewed again on Wednesday 21 July.

Advice for recent travellers from Australia:

Anyone who was in Queensland since 28 June is encouraged to check the Queensland Health website for locations of interest.

Anyone who was in Victoria since 8 July is encouraged to keep checking the Victoria Health website for locations of interest, with new locations continuing to be announced.

People who have been at these locations at the relevant time should immediately isolate at their home or appropriate accommodation and call Healthline on 0800 358 5453 for advice on testing.

Further information about Quarantine-Free Travel between Australia and New Zealand, and details about acceptable pre-departure documentation, is available on the Unite Against COVID-19 website.

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