New Zealand suspends travel bubble with Australia over delta wave

Eight-week pause in effect after three Aussie states impose lockdowns

20210723N Ardern

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern cited health risks to citizens in shutting down the travel bubble with Australia. © AP

FUMI MATSUMOTO, Nikkei staff writer

SYDNEY -- New Zealand will again suspend its quarantine-free travel bubble with Australia for at least eight weeks in response to the spread of the delta coronavirus variant on the continent, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Friday.

"This is not a decision we have taken lightly but it is, we believe, the right one," Ardern told a news conference.

Sponsored Content

About Sponsored ContentThis content was commissioned by Nikkei's Global Business Bureau.