WELLINGTON — New Zealand is to begin allowing small numbers of vaccinated travelers to isolate at home instead of in state-run quarantine facilities as part of a phased approach to re-opening its borders, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Monday. The pilot project starting next month will be open to 150 people, who must be New Zealand citizens or residents and are fully vaccinated, Ardern said at a news conference. “We’re working on building a greater evidence base for a shorter periods of isolation in the future as well,” she said. Key, who was prime minister from 2008 to 2016, said vaccination was the only way to get back to normality. New Zealand eliminated COVID-19 last year and remained largely virus-free until an outbreak of the highly infectious Delta variant in August led to a nationwide lockdown.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer September 27, 2021 05:03 UTC