It could be another year and a half before our borders open and New Zealanders are vaccinated and able to travel freely.
Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins has revealed any mass Covid-19 vaccination programme would run for 12 months and depending on when vaccines arrive that could take us to mid next year or beyond.
The Minister expects the first shipment from Pfizer by March, but that's small quantities and already earmarked for frontline workers.
What does that all mean for New Zealand's tourism industry - businesses heavily reliant on overseas visitors who have been hanging on, hoping for a bit of respite in the new year?
Kiwibank chief economist Jarrod Kerr is not surprised by the timeline. He says he has been operating on a far more pessimistic forecast.
