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Summary
- Travel between New Zealand and New South Wales resumed from early hours of Monday.
- Sydneysiders are urged to follow COVID-19 protocols.
- Vaccination of Australian athletes and staff commenced from Monday.
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New Zealand lifted the temporary halt on the quarantine-free flights travel to New South Wales on Sunday night.
Flights had recommenced from 11.59 pm on Sunday ahead of the announcement of the lifting of the travel ban in NSW at 12.01 am on Monday, contingent on no significant developments in New South Wales region.
Must Read: Things you should know about quarantine-free trans-Tasman travel
Recent Emergence Of 2 COVID-19 Cases In Sydney
Following the eruption of 2 community COVID-19 cases in Sydney, New Zealand had ceased the quarantine-free travel from New South Wales from 6 May, implying all the direct flights originating from NSW to New Zealand to be paused by 11.59 pm on Thursday.
Chris Hipkins, NZ’s COVID-19 response minister, expressed that the ban was supposed to last for 48 hours and the government was keeping a close watch on the whole situation.
Also Read: NZ-WA flights put on hold after COVID-19 outbreak in Perth
Resumption Of Travel Bubble
The flights were resumed following no new detection of COVID-19 cases for the 2nd consecutive day. However, anyone who had been to the places of interest was asked not to visit New Zealand within 14 days of their travel and should undergo self-isolation, stated Hipkins.
Do Read: Air NZ Curtails Few Flights Amid Moderate Demand During Trans- Tasman Bubble
COVID-19 Protocols To Be Followed
Gladys Berejiklian, NSW’s Premier, urged the Sydneysiders to wear masks while going ahead with their plans. However, certain restrictions like a cap of 20 persons on indoor gatherings and compulsory mask-wearing on public transport would continue to remain in place for greater Sydney, including the Blue Mountains, the Central Coast, and the Illawarra, until 12.01 am 17 May.
Liquor and Gaming NSW, too, had urged the businesses to follow the COVID-19 protocols, non-adherence of which may lead to a fine up to $5,000 and closing their shutters.
Australian Athletes To Be Inoculated Ahead Of the Tokyo Olympics
Further, the vaccination of about 2,050 Australian athletes, including the support staff for the Tokyo Olympics, scheduled from 23 July to 8 August, was scheduled to begin from 10 May 2021, stated the Australian Olympic Committee.
Further, the Committee assured on following all the requisite precautions and prioritising the interest of its athletes.
A decision on whether local spectators would be allowed to attend the games is likely to be announced by May end.
