The government's unannounced decision to get rid of MIQ for the unvaxed has not gone down well with the opposition, according to ACT leader David Seymour, who says the Covid-19 plan has gone from bad to worse.
"Oh, look, the plan's now a mess. You can come into New Zealand unvaccinated but you can't go to a cafe unvaccinated."
"There is no logic in this decision to allow citizens but not permanent residents to skip MIQ unvaccinated. Last time I checked we are all humans, and the biology is the same, whether you have a New Zealand passport or not."
Travellers entering New Zealand will still be required to undertake rapid antigen tests on days 0/1 and 5/6 and report the results. If a traveller tests positive, they will need to undertake a PCR test, and isolate in accordance with the requirements for positive Covid-19 cases.
Seymour is questioning the logic of the decision. He says in almost every area the government's plan for a post-Covid New Zealand falls short of expectation.
"So one thing that is risky is allowed and one thing that is less risky is not allowed, without any explanation. I think that is frustrating a lot of people."
"We have testing that is all over the place, and we have a whole lot of rules that don't make any sense."
He believes with restrictions easing, the government should be looking to give the business sector confidence.
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"People are trying to make a living. They have been decimated by fear, and the real problem is that the measures we have now, aren't making any sense."
With Covid Response Minister Chris Hipkins isolating with Covid, he was unavailable for comment.
But a MIQ spokesman says New Zealand citizens have always had the right to return home regardless of their vaccination status.
"Other travellers who are eligible to enter New Zealand and who meet the vaccination requirements will also be able to test on arrival. This includes foreign nationals, and permanent residents, who meet vaccination requirements and have proof of vaccination to enter New Zealand, unless they have an exemption. This policy has not changed from when it was introduced on November 1, 2021."
The spokesman says that following an agreement by the cabinet on March 14, changes to border settings were made effective at 11:59pm on Friday, March 18. "This now means most travellers entering New Zealand will be able to self-test on arrival and will no longer need to enter Managed Isolation and Quarantine (MIQ). MIQ will only be used in limited circumstances — for example, for some maritime and international aircrew.
MIQ communicated directly with those few travellers impacted by the changes – including those already in facilities, and those with MIQ vouchers. This information was posted to the MIQ website on Friday evening and the Unite Against COVID-19 website over the weekend. It is anticipated that 33 travellers already in an MIQ facility would now be eligible to self-test and could depart early, the spokesman says.
To date, the proportion of those who do not meet vaccination requirements arriving in New Zealand and entering MIQ have been relatively low, he says. Current airline vaccination requirements often preclude unvaccinated travellers from travelling to New Zealand.