COVID live updates: Jacinda Ardern defends delay to Australia-New Zealand travel bubble - ABC News

Jacinda Ardern defends delay to travel bubble

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was just on ABC News Breakfast, talking to the show from Auckland. 

Now, if you're playing along at home (or on the train, on the bus, or in the toilet - I don't judge) you'll remember that the first quarantine-free flights form Australia touched down in NZ yesterday. 

And there were some emotional scenes. 

"It was absolutely beautiful... One of the things that really got me was seeing families where clearly they were introducing new babies for the first time," Ms Ardern said. 

She was asked about why it took so long for NZ to let Australians back in. Here's what Ms Ardern said:

"Well, actually, for us, it was all about making sure that when we did it, we did it right.

"We wanted to make sure, and one of the questions that we've had consistently since the reopening is — how will it be managed going forward? How will we make sure that we minimise disruption as much as possible?

"That period of time that we've taken to make sure that the risk is as low as possible should also mean that we reduce how much disruption travellers might experience.

"We know much more about the virus now than we did even at the end of last year.

"You've seen that both Australia and New Zealand now know how to manage cases that we might see connected to our quarantine.

"We use short, sharp lockdowns if required rather than some of the, perhaps in the past, some of the longer and more extended ones.

"So my view is that by taking that time, whilst there is something that could have disruption from time to time, is much more consistent."

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2021-04-19 21:24:47Z
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