Photo: Getty ImagesThe government is being urged to include the Pacific Islands in any proposed trans-Tasman bubble. The Covid-19 response Pacific health advisory group head Colin Tukuitonga suggested New Zealand could first open its bubble to Niue, Cook Islands and Tokelau. So it [makes] a lot of sense to me that you could extend the Australia-New Zealand bubble to include a selection of these islands," Tukuitonga said. But some fear expanding a trans-Tasman bubble to include Pacific Island nations could risk spreading the virus to the region. Dr Powles said it would be better to gradually reopen borders to the Pacific, which could include only letting in Pacific seasonal workers at first.

Source: Otago Daily Times April 30, 2020 19:07 UTC