PM Jacinda Ardern confirms Niue-New Zealand travel bubble 'soon'

Niue and New Zealand may have a travel bubble soon, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has confirmed.

The news comes after the Premier of Niue, Dalton Tagelagi, confirmed there have been discussions between his government and New Zealand on quarantine-free travel.

On Saturday, Ardern confirmed she had a good conversation with Tagelagi last week and believed they were making good progress on a travel-bubble soon.

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Ardern said Pacific countries like Niue and Cook Islands have the same criteria as New Zealand when considering travel bubbles, and a period free of community transmissions was very important.

New Zealand anticipated border cases and was constantly prepared for it, she said.

“It’s fair to say, and you will see the communication from Niue, they are really happy with the progress and regime New Zealand is running.

“But of course there are things that we're still working through. [I’ve] had a good conversation with the premier last week and I believe we're making good progress and that we will be in a position to ... eventually have a quarantine-free travel arrangement with Niue soon.”

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Discussions between Niue and New Zealand authorities on travel have happening since after the lockdown.

New Zealand has gone seven days without community transmission, following two outbreaks since March.

Niue has not had any Covid-19 cases from January 3.

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