Sir David Skegg at a panel discussion about opening up NZ's borders. Photo: RNZ/Samuel Rillstone
A plan for New Zealand to gradually re-open to the world was outlined by the Prime Minister yesterday.
The four phase approach starts with a ramping up of the vaccine rollout, to get first doses into more people - with earlier start dates for the remaining age bands, and a lengthening the time between doses from three to six weeks.
A tightly controlled trial of quarantine-free travel for those who are vaccinated will run between October and December, involving possible electronic monitoring of partipants who must isolate at home alone, or with those they've been travelling with.
Early next year, there are plans to move to a new border system assessing risk individually - with no requirement to isolate for vaccinated travellers from low risk countries; modified isolation for those vaccinated travellers from medium risk countries, and those who are unvaccinated and coming from high risk countries would have the full 14 days in MIQ.
The government's plan is based on the report of the Covid 19 Public Health Advisory Group, chaired by Professor Sir David Skegg.
