Australia-New Zealand Travel Bubble Hits a Snag
Australia-New Zealand Travel Bubble Hits a Snag
(Bloomberg) --
The fledgling travel bubble between Australia and New Zealand hit an early snag after passengers who flew into Sydney caught connecting flights to Melbourne and Perth in an apparent breach of the rules.
In an effort to boost tourism, Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s government is encouraging visitors from New Zealand, which has crushed community transmission of Covid-19, and says they can enter the country without having to undergo hotel quarantine for 14 days. But the quarantine-free travel corridor only covers New South Wales state, which is home to Sydney, and the Northern Territory.
Fifty-five passengers flew on to Melbourne after arriving in Sydney, and Victoria state Premier Daniel Andrews isn’t happy.
“We cannot just have people wandering into the place from another country,” he said Sunday.
Another 25 flew to Perth, despite Western Australia not being part of the bubble arrangement, and will have to undergo mandatory quarantine.
The limited travel corridor falls far short of the bubble initially envisaged by Morrison. New Zealand isn’t yet reciprocating, and says anyone returning from a trip to Australia must quarantine for 14 days on their return. Indeed, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has urged New Zealanders to holiday at home instead.
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