The New Zealand government on Thursday announced that it will keep its borders shut to overseas travellers until the end of 2021. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the nation won’t reopen for foreign tourism until the COVID-19 vaccination rollout is completed, which is expected to happen by the end of the year.
The PM stressed that the country is “not in a position to fully reopen yet”. Apparently, the vaccination process in New Zealand has been much slower as compared to other developed nations. As per reports, only about 29 percent of the country’s population has received one dose and 17 percent are fully vaccinated.
Till Thursday, the nation didn’t report any new infections in the community. The PM further said that the country wants to move forward carefully and with confidence
She added, “Rushing could see us in the situation other countries are finding themselves in, where after sustained periods in case numbers falling, due to vaccination they’re finding them rise again, after relaxing their settings and opening their borders”.
The island nation with a population of 4.9 million has recorded 2557 COVID-19 positive cases since the beginning of the pandemic and 26 deaths. After that, the country had completely shut its borders for international visitors. With its strict measures, New Zealand has successfully saved its citizens from the adverse effects of the pandemic.
