An Insurance Business Magazine article.
New Zealand is bracing for the arrival of Omicron, with the highly infectious COVID-19 variant expected to breach the nation’s closed border at any time.
“We know that with Omicron it is a case of when, not if,” Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told a news conference Monday in Auckland. “We’re doing what we can, but I think it would be wrong for us to assume that those border measures will be sufficient. At some point, we will see Omicron in the community.”
The government has delayed a phased reopening of the border to keep Omicron out while it rushes to administer booster vaccination shots and begin inoculating children. While 93% of adults are now fully vaccinated, the evidence from neighbouring Australia shows that Omicron will still lead to a surge in infections.