5. Question No. 5—COVID-19 ResponseSARAH PALLETT (Labour—Ilam) to the Minister for COVID-19 ResponseQuestion No. 5—COVID-19 Response5. SARAH PALLETT (Labour—Ilam) to the Minister for COVID-19 Response: What recent announcements has the Government made on reconnecting New Zealand to the world?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS (Minister for COVID-19 Response): Today I announced the next steps in our plan to reconnect New Zealand with the world with a staged approach to removing the requirement for most incoming travellers to enter our managed isolation facilities. The first step will see Kiwi citizens and residents along with those with current border exceptions able to arrive from Australia without staying in managed isolation and quarantine (MIQ) from 11.59 p.m. on Sunday 16 January. The second step allows Kiwis and other eligible travellers from all other countries not considered very high-risk to bypass MIQ from 11.59 p.m. on Sunday 13 February. Finally from 30 April onwards fully vaccinated foreign nationals will be able to travel here. This step will likely be phased in depending on visa categories and in line with our immigration reset. We're making this announcement today to give families businesses visitors and airline and airport companies certainty and time to prepare. It's really encouraging that as a result of high vaccination rates and the protections offered by the traffic light framework we as a country are now in a position to move towards greater normality at our international border.Sarah Pallett: What requirements will be applied to travellers who do not have to enter MIQ?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: We've always said that we would open up in a controlled way to provide continued assurance around new arrivals. That's why we're retaining a seven-day home isolation period for those fully vaccinated travellers arriving under the three steps that we announced today which is of course the medium-risk pathway that we're opening. All of these arrivals will also require a negative pre-departure test proof that they have been fully vaccinated they will need to complete a passenger declaration about their recent travel history they'll need to do a test on arrival at day zero or one and they'll need a final negative test before they're able to move about freely in the community at the end of their self-isolation. Those who don't meet the requirements for the medium-risk pathway but are still permitted to enter New Zealand under our current border settings will continue to enter managed isolation upon arrival. That will include unvaccinated New Zealand citizens and those from very high-risk countries.Sarah Pallett: Why is the Government taking a staged approach to reconnecting with the world?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: Closing our border was one of the first steps that we took to keep New Zealand safe from the global COVID-19 pandemic and it will be one of the last things that we do as we open up. There continues to be a global pandemic and cases are surging in Europe and in other parts of the world so we need to be careful as we look to reopen our border. A phased approach is the safest approach; it helps us to ensure that risk is carefully managed and to reduce the potential impacts on vulnerable communities and the New Zealand health system. The opening of our borders logically flows from the bedding in of the new traffic light system the removal of the boundary around Auckland the time that regions need to get their vaccination rates higher still and of course for booster shots to be rolled out to people who received their vaccinations first. It's worth acknowledging the difficult trade-offs we've had to make to keep our country as safe as possible and the toll that that has taken on New Zealanders overseas and New Zealanders who have been separated from those who are overseas. But the end of heavily restricted travel is now in sight and as we shift to the new phase of the pandemic the time is right to carefully reopen our borders just as we said we would and just as we have planned for.Chris Bishop: From what date will fully vaccinated Australian citizens be able to travel to New Zealand without going into MIQ?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: Those Australian citizens who are normally resident in New Zealand will be able to travel to New Zealand from 11.59 p.m. on Sunday 16 January. For those Australians who are coming here to visit—for a holiday for example—where they're not covered by a current border exception they'll have to wait a little longer.