As the vaccine rollout ramps up in New Zealand, it will "open up space" to have conversations around easing border restrictions for Covid-19 vaccinated travellers by reducing MIQ time, according to Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins.
But Hipkins says the Government currently has no plans to ease travel restrictions.
It comes as Thailand announced it would cut their two week quarantine time to seven days for those who could prove vaccination, along with a negative Covid-19 test. It was also reducing quarantine time to 10 days, except for places where Covid-19 had mutated.
Singapore eyed relaxing restrictions in January, based on whether there was evidence vaccines lower transmission risk, according to Reuters.
During this week's announcement that urgent Covid-19 vaccines will be available for those travelling overseas for events of "national significance" or needing to travel on compassionate grounds, Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins was asked if the Government was considering MIQ changes for vaccinated travellers.
"That is one of the things we’ll keep under constant review," Hipkins said.
"There are also other issues we will keep under review like requirements around aircrew travelling internationally (and) other requirements at the border.
"At this point we’re not making any changes to any of those things, but as vaccines become more widely deployed in New Zealand and around the world, then obviously that opens up space for us to have those conversations."
Earlier this month, Hipkins said Covid-19 vaccine passports would be "almost an inevitability" within the next year, with New Zealand actively involved in conversations around vaccine passports.
A vaccine passport is a way of people being able to show and prove they have been vaccinated for Covid-19, usually in the context of overseas travel.
So far, 41,500 Covid-19 vaccine doses have been administered in New Zealand. The Government announced earlier this month the order in which New Zealanders will receive the Covid-19 vaccine, dependent on occupation, location, age and if they have an underlying health condition. The general public is set to receive their Covid-19 vaccine from July.
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