NZ-Australia travel bubble resumes after NSW COVID-19 threat eases

After the reopening of the travel bubble between New Zealand and NSW, an infectious diseases expert says more bubbles will be open in months.

An infectious diseases expert says more travel bubbles will be opening between Australia and other countries within the next few months.

Speaking to Channel 9’s Today Show, Professor Robert Booy at the University of Sydney said despite the federal government pointing to a 2022 reopening, he believes more corridors will open this year.

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Relatives are reunited after a flight from Wellington, NZ lands at Melbourne Airport. Picture: Jake Nowakowski.

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The comments come as Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said Australian borders will be reopened in 2022 under a “cautious approach”, but there’s a huge wildcard driving uncertainty about when and how quickly that will happen.

“We have New Zealand, we’ll have many more,” he explained.

“Pacific Islands – we’ll have more places, perhaps in Asia as they totally clamp down and have high vaccination rates as well.

“We’ll get to a point where this virus is more like a cold – that too will help us open up.”

According to Tuesday’s budget preview, the Morrison Government has conceded the big question around the reopening of the border remains the threat that people who are vaccinated may still be able to catch and spread COVID, even if the vaccine means it will no longer kill them.

Passengers arrive at Sydney Airport for the first time in a year, to take advantage of a travel bubble involving Australia & New Zealand. picture John Grainger

Booster shots may also be required to improve the immunity of travellers who go to regions with new variants that are immune to the first generation vaccines.

It’s that uncertainty that’s driving delays and caution over the reopening of Australia’s international borders that will likely be delivered in a staggered changes that test the impact of each small step to return to normal.

With the trans-Tasman travel bubble up and running, where we could be allowed to travel to next has been hot on the agenda.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has previously mentioned places like Singapore and Japan and South Korea, but despite the corridor across the ditch – no further locations have moved forward on.