CANBERRA, Oct. 2 (Xinhua) -- The Australian government has announced that it will open its borders to travellers from New Zealand within weeks.
Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack announced on Friday that quarantine-free travel between New Zealand and Australia's New South Wales and the Northern Territory (NT) would resume from Oct. 16 in a major boost for the tourism industry.
"This will allow New Zealanders and other residents in New Zealand who have not been in an area designated as a COVID-19 hotspot in New Zealand in the preceding 14 days to travel quarantine-free to Australia," he told reporters.
"This is the first stage in what we hope to see as a Trans-Tasman bubble between the two countries, not just that State and that Territory.
"The Department of Health has undertaken a public health risk assessment of COVID-19 in New Zealand, which indicated that New Zealand posed a low risk of COVID-19 transmission to Australia."
However, he said that there was no timeline for when Australians would be able to enter New Zealand.
"We want to make sure that there is two-way travel, and that would be something that I will leave to those negotiations between the two prime ministers," McCormack said.
More states and territories will be added to the scheme when they agree to the government's definition of a COVID-19 hotspot, with South Australia "very close to agreeing to these terms."
"South Australia stands ready to participate as well. I've spoken to (Premier of South Australia) Steven Marshall in the last half hour, they will certainly probably be the next cab off the rank," McCormack said.
He said that the implementation of quarantine-free travel to Australia from New Zealand would free up 325 places in the hotel quarantine system per week, allowing for the return of more Australians who are stranded overseas. Enditem
