New Zealand announces plans to reopen to the world

[Shrek]

https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/new-zealand-borders-opening-intl-hnk/index.html

New Zealand has announced it will begin reopening to the world, signaling an end to nearly two years of tough border rules that have separated families and shut out almost all foreigners.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern outlined a five-step plan Thursday that will allow fully vaccinated New Zealand citizens to start traveling from Australia later this month. They will need to self-isolate on arrival -- but they won't need to go into state-run quarantine facilities.

By July, fully vaccinated people from Australia or visa waiver countries -- including the United Kingdom, the United States, and many European nations -- will be able to enter New Zealand and self-isolate on arrival, according to the plan.

The government website states that "self-isolation can be in your home or suitable alternative accommodation," so it's not yet known whether non-residents will be able to use hotels, rented apartments or other similar accommodations for their own self-isolation purposes.

The announcement is a major shift for New Zealand, which imposed some of the world's strictest border rules in a bid to shut out Covid-19.

[werdna]

1. Silly Asses!

Silly Asses! is the title of an Isaac Asimov short story which relates the tale of an alien species encountering Earth for the first time. As they observe the planet, a nuclear device is detonated on the surface. The aliens write off Earthlings as a non intelligent species with the eptihet, "Silly Asses!" to close the story out. This is New Zealand's version of displaying self destructive behavior like the Earthlings in the story. To which I reply . . .

[Celerity]

3. No.

New Zealand is NOT at all like the US at when it comes to Covid. They have handled it magnificently overall.

[sinkingfeeling]

2. A sign of hope. NZ has had tens of thousands of my dollars since 2019.

I had a completely paid for 3 week trip scheduled for 2020. Australia has twice that amount for the 4 weeks I was supposed to see that country.