Bored of Borders?
Life before 2020 is like a fever dream; a land where facemasks are only worn by surgeons and dentists, and going on holiday could mean actually leaving the country (and being allowed to return back home again)! Now, with Covid-19 cases climbing and protests prevailing, everyone is wondering whether life will ever be the same again. Although it doesn’t seem like it, Aotearoa is starting to take small steps towards repossessing its pre-pandemic freedom. On February 2nd, the Government announced its plan to re-open our borders and reunite our country with the rest of the world. Here is a breakdown of how this will go:
On February 27th, our border will open up to vaccinated New Zealanders flying in from Australia, and on March 13th New Zealanders around the rest of the world can follow suit. For the vaccinated, MIQ will be replaced with a Covid-19 test on arrival and self-isolation, but for the unvaccinated, MIQ rules will remain the same. Although the majority of the year will be spent with our borders restricted to key visa holders and essential workers, by October, New Zealand will be fully reopened to all visitors and visa categories from everywhere.
For many people, there is a lot to celebrate. Businesses will start to thrive once more as tourists come flooding in; families divided by different hemispheres can come together again, and travel plans can finally be put into action.
“It’s about time we reunite with the rest of the world, it feels like the other countries are laughing at us,” says first-year Massey student Thomas Pohio.
“The Governments’ plan looks sensible enough. Smart use of RATs to make sure we minimise infections coming into the community, and limiting who is eligible for the following months is the way to go. Prioritise Kiwis who want to come home, and skilled workers for sectors of our economy that are struggling,” says fourth-year Massey student Campbell.
“I’m super excited for them (borders) to open up. We have reached 95% and I want to go overseas. Put on your party hats and pop the champagne, we’re almost free!” says another student, Saskia J.
Many New Zealanders won’t be joining the celebrations though. There is a multitude of concerns that our lockdowns, restrictions, and hard work in keeping the community safe from Covid-19 will be swiftly undone by the influx of new arrivals. New Zealand could also become threatened by new variants and our hospitals could be swamped beyond their capacities.
“I believe the borders should stay shut to the public, like tourists etc, as Covid-19 is still all over the place. This is coming from someone who doesn’t have any sort of business or income from overseas though. I think keeping the borders closed is necessary for protecting the public and compromised individuals,” says Massey graduate, Tyler Brasell.
“It feels counterproductive to everything we’ve done so far. Once the borders are open, there will be no stopping the virus from spreading everywhere. As someone that is immune-compromised, it makes me both scared and angry,” says Dustin Brown, a member of the public.
Whether you agree or disagree with the borders reopening, a few things we can all do to keep protecting the community and prevent catching and spreading the virus is to keep washing our hands, keep social distancing, wearing masks, scanning in, staying positive and getting vaccinated.