New Zealand has postponed its phased border reopening plans until the end of February over concerns of the rapid global spread of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus.
It had just started easing some of the world's toughest pandemic measures and its international border restrictions were to progressively loosen from January, with all foreign tourists allowed into the country from April.
Non-quarantine travel, which was to have opened for New Zealanders in Australia from 16 January, would be pushed back until the end of February, Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said at a press conference in Wellington. "All of the evidence so far points to Omicron being the most transmissible Covid-19 variant yet. "There's no doubt this is