NZ Travel bubble: Pre-departure testing introduced for people who were in Victoria between May 20 and 25

New Zealand has introduced a new requirement for certain people flying in the trans-Tasman travel bubble from Australia.

A change has been introduced for New Zealand-bound Aussies in the wake of Victoria’s growing coronavirus cluster.

The New Zealand government on Friday announced new pre-departure testing measures would soon kick in for anyone who may have visited Victoria in the lead up to the recent Melbourne outbreak.

Under new directions, people flying to New Zealand from Australia must now return a negative Covid-19 test within three days of departure if they have been in Victoria on or after May 20.

Anyone who has been in Victoria since 7.59pm on May 25 cannot enter the country.

New Zealand’s Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said Australians must keep evidence of a negative pre-departure test on them at all times.

“This step is being taken to ensure those people who have been in Melbourne during the infectious period of the original detected COVID-19 cases, but who have since travelled to another state, can’t fly on to New Zealand without first confirming they don’t have COVID-19,” Mr Hipkins said.

New Zealand’s Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins made the announcement.

“Failure to produce evidence could result in people being denied boarding, or penalties on arrival in New Zealand.”

Mr Hipkins said the new measures would come into force on May 31 from 11.59pm “to minimise disruption for those passengers with imminent departures”.

Before this time, either a pre-departure test, or test and self-isolation on arrival into New Zealand will be accepted for entry into the country.

Children aged under two are exempt from the new regulations.

Travellers arriving from Auckland on Air New Zealand flight NZ101 at Sydney International Airport. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Bianca De Marchi

It’s another major blow for the trans-Tasman bubble after New Zealand announced it would pause its arrangement with Victoria earlier this week.

Four additional community cases of Covid-19 were recorded in the southern state as the cluster grew to 30.

“While we don’t see these travellers who have left Victoria prior to 25 May as a major risk to New Zealand, we want to ensure the risk is reduced as much as possible,” Mr Hipkins said.

“A negative pre-departure test can give us a higher degree of confidence that a person will not be infectious upon arrival in New Zealand.