COVID-19 Response

As set out in our Trans-Tasman bubble protocols, travel between New Zealand and Western Australia has been paused, pending further advice from the state government.

The Government is acting to ensure decisions on responding to the next phase of the COVID-19 pandemic are informed by the best available scientific evidence and strategic public health advice.

New Zealand’s successful management of COVID means quarantine-free travel between New Zealand and Australia will start on Monday 19 April, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced today.

The Government has confirmed strict criteria for early vaccinations for people who need to travel outside of New Zealand on compassionate grounds or for reasons of national significance, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins announced today.

The Government is targeting those most at risk of getting and spreading COVID-19 and those most at risk of getting seriously sick from it in the next phase of the vaccine roll-out, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins announced today.

A newly established advisory group will ensure New Zealand’s COVID-19 response continues to learn and adapt with a focus on continual improvement, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins says.

The Government has guaranteed that every New Zealander will have access to the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, after securing an additional 8.5 million doses, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced today.

More than half of New Zealand’s estimated 12,000 border workforce have now received their first vaccinations, as a third batch of vaccines arrive in the country, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins says.

A second batch of Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines arrived safely yesterday at Auckland International Airport, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins says.

A dry run of the end-to-end process shows New Zealand’s COVID-19 vaccination programme is ready to roll from Saturday, when the first border workers will receive the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins says.

The first batch of COVID-19 vaccine arrived in New Zealand this morning, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has confirmed.

New Zealand’s first batch of Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is set to arrive in New Zealand next week subject to transportation plans and quality temperature control, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced today.

Cabinet has confirmed formal Government approval for use of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins says.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has welcomed Medsafe’s provisional approval of New Zealand’s first COVID-19 vaccine.

The green light for New Zealand’s first COVID-19 vaccine could be granted in just over a week, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said today.

Border workers in quarantine facilities will be offered voluntary daily COVID-19 saliva tests in addition to their regular weekly testing, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said today.

To further protect New Zealand from COVID-19, the Government is extending pre-departure testing to all passengers to New Zealand except from Australia, Antarctica and most Pacific Islands, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said today.

The Government is putting in place a suite of additional actions to protect New Zealand from COVID-19, including new emerging variants, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said today.

Travellers from the United Kingdom or the United States bound for New Zealand will be required to get a negative test result for COVID-19 before departing, and work is underway to extend the requirement to other long haul flights to New Zealand, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins confirmed today.

An additional test for COVID-19 will be required for returnees from higher risk countries such as the United Kingdom on their arrival in New Zealand from midnight on 31 December, Minister for COVID-19 Response Chris Hipkins announced today.

The Government has set aside extra funding to support the health system’s COVID-19 response and to maintain quarantine facilities up to June 2022, Minister for COVID-19 Response Chris Hipkins said today.

The Government will purchase COVID-19 vaccines from pharmaceutical companies AstraZeneca and Novavax, meaning every New Zealander will be able to be vaccinated, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced today.

COVID-19 response Minister Chris Hipkins has outlined extensive All of Government planning in the event of a community case of COVID-19 during the holiday period.

COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins today launched the nationwide ‘Make Summer Unstoppable’ campaign to keep COVID-19 at bay, during day 3 of the Blackcaps test match against the West Indies at Wellington’s Basin Reserve.