New Zealand announced on Wednesday, November 24 that borders will be closed to foreign travelers until the end of April. Island community The border was closed in March 2020. Chris Hipkins, the minister in charge of the fight against Kovid-19, has indicated that New Zealanders stranded in Australia will return from mid – January, while those from other parts of the world will have to wait until February. Foreigners will be able to visit the archipelago from the end of April under the regular resumption plan, which was unveiled on Wednesday.

“We recognize that the situation is difficult, but the end of travel restrictions is now visible”, Said Chris To the Hipkins Press. The announcement comes amid mounting pressure from New Zealanders stranded abroad and the frustration of not being able to book rooms in hotels that are not quarantined enough.

New Zealand announced earlier this week that it would change its strategy to deal with the Kovid-19, and decided to include it instead of eliminating the Delta variant. The disease has killed only 40 people in a population of five million, but authorities have acknowledged that the Delta variant is a game changer and that they should abandon their Zero Covid goal.