NZ puts on hold managed return flights from Aus

Wellington, July 9 Due to the rising Covid-19 cases in Australia's New South Wales (NSW), New Zealand on Friday put on hold the return of managed flights from the state, a Minister announced here.

"Case numbers in Sydney show no sign of plateauing and NSW has today ramped up restrictions again," Xinhua news agency quoted Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins as saying to reporters.

New Zealand has moved to act on new advice to hold off on managed return flights from the state for three more days, Hipkins said.

As a result, work is underway to stage flights from July 13 to Auckland and Christchurch airports only.

Fourteen days at managed isolation and quarantine facilities (MIQ) will be a temporary requirement for travellers from NSW from Tuesday, he said.

"This was a difficult decision but we consider it is necessary given the heightened risk in NSW," he added.

New Zealand is "strongly advising people not to fly to Sydney unless they normally live there and are returning home", the Minister said, adding the quarantine free travel bubble pause with NSW remains in place.

Managed return flights from Australia's Queensland will continue as planned from midnight Friday, and indications are that the quarantine free travel pause with Queensland will lift early next week, he said.

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