What Happened : For the first time since the initial COVID-19 outbreak in march, 2020, some degree of normalcy has returned to international travel. On Monday. Australia and New Zealand finally launched their awaited trans-Tasman travel bubble, which allows passengers to travel between the two states without quarantining. 1800 Australians crossed into New Zealand on the first day of the opening, according to Prime Minister Jacinda Arden. Since then, heartwarming videos of families and friends reuniting after a year have been circulating on the internet.
Yesterday we laughed, cried, and cheered as whānau and friends were reunited in New Zealand. The first planes from Australia were more than just flights, but a hopeful reminder of better things to come. #WelcomeWhānau pic.twitter.com/zwhM4BtfMQ
— New Zealand (@PureNewZealand) April 20, 2021
The System: New Zealand’s airports are now divided into Green and Red zones. The former is where passengers from domestic and Australian flights remain, while passengers from other international flights are quarantined within the Red zones. Reported Case: A day after the launch of the bubble, a New Zealand airport worker tested positive for COVID-19. While this sparked concern and fear, Prime Minister Jacinda Arden spoke to the press and explained that the worker was fully vaccinated, and had most likely contracted the virus when cleaning an aircraft that arrived from a high-risk nation. She also reassured the country that this development would have no effect on the trans-Tasman bubble.