Coronavirus outbreak at New Zealand-Australia airport one day after opening

A day after the opening of the travel “bubble” with Australia, the authorities in New Zealand announced today that an employee at Auckland airport tested positive in coronavirus.

Australia and New Zealand opened a travel “bubble” on Monday, as both countries closed their borders in March 2020 to non-citizens or residents in order to limit the spread of the covid-19 pandemic, according to AMPE. .

“When we opened both sides, of course we knew we would continue to record cases involving our borders,” said New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinta Arden. “We accept that this will be part of our common journey, I believe Australia also accepts it.”

The employee who was infected by covid-19 it was fully vaccinated and cleaned planes coming from high-risk countries, Ardern explained.

On April 12, he was found negative for the coronavirus, but on Monday he was positive, she pointed out, while adding that has started the process of tracking his contacts.

Australian Health Minister Greg Hunt said he had “full confidence” in New Zealand’s healthcare system to deal with the new case.

“We have seen them deal with the inevitable outbreaks (of the pandemic) and there will be days when cases are found in Australia,” Hunt said.

The closure of the borders, the immediate enforcement lockdown and the rapid case-tracking system have helped Australia and New Zealand keep covid-19 infections relatively low.

Australia has reported just over 29,500 infections and 910 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic and New Zealand just over 2,200 cases and 26 deaths.

(file photo)

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