New Zealand to start reopening borders to world from January

By NICK PERRY
Associated Press

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand will reopen its borders to the world over the coming months, allowing for the return of displaced residents from January and tourists from April. The South Pacific nation imposed harsh border restrictions when the pandemic began, effectively banning tourists and requiring returning residents to spend two weeks in a quarantine hotel run by the military. For the first 18 months of the pandemic, the border measures were considered vital in keeping New Zealand free from the virus. But the border measures have become increasingly hard to justify as the virus has spread and vaccination rates risen.