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Trans-Tasman bubble bursts as New South Wales records spike in new COVID-19 cases

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Although the bubble only applied to air transport, Ann Sherry said the ANZLF was raising ‘all the elements of tourism'
The trans-Tasman bubble for air travel that was engineered by former Carnival Australia Chairman and still-adviser Ann Sherry and the Australian New Zealand Leadership Forum has burst.

From midnight (New Zealand time) July 23, the New Zealand government has suspended travel between the two countries for at least two months.

National emergency

This follows a spike of 136 new cases of COVID-19 in New South Wales on July 23 that Premier Gladys Berejiklian said could be regarded as a ‘national emergency.’

Queensland’s border 

Queensland closed its border with New South Wales on July 23, following Victoria and South Australia.

‘Since we set up quarantine-free travel with Australia some months ago, more than 200,000 people have flown between our two countries,’ New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said.

However, she said the director-general of health had recommended, and Cabinet had agreed to, the travel suspension.

Sherry said the ANZLF committee, which included health and border force officials from both sides of the Tasman and peak tourism bodies, had only reached agreement for air transport.

‘All elements’ of tourism

However, she said at the time that it would be raising ‘all the elements of tourism.’

Seatrade Cruise News understands several cruise companies have been looking at the trans-Tasman bubble for future deployments.