Covid-19: 'Flyer beware' Our Government failed the omicron test with two words

“Flyer beware”. These two small words from the mouth of our health minister in recent days are a financial disaster.

Millions of dollars have been spent on travel bookings since the Government announced “locked in dates” of January 19 (Australia) and February 14 (rest of world) with the lottery system being dropped and borders opening to those with New Zealand passports or residency.

Thousands of New Zealanders have booked flights home. Thousands have booked flights to leave the country, once safe passage home was assured. Businesses have booked international flights for staff. Some Kiwis have already left, relying on the dates for reopening the border being “locked in”.

Omicron was an important test for our Government and it failed it with those two words.

This is a shocking about-face. It was also a missed opportunity to change the Government’s relationship with the border.

What we were looking for was a very different message and tone:

1. A reassurance that we now live in a different world of vaccinations, boosters, anti virals, border testing and test and trace capability.

2. An acknowledgement that no New Zealander will be prevented from crossing the border into their country again, or prevented from leaving due to a blocked passage home.

3. A word of warning that while entry is guaranteed, the rules at the border can’t be. There may again be periods where every traveller has to enter MIQ or has to complete a short stay combined with home isolation. Omicron, like any variant could cause this.

4. A commitment that any future use of MIQ will be scaled up and scaled down to meet demand, due to our highly vaccinated population. Confirm there is no longer any reason to limit the number of entrants.

5. An announcement of a fast booster programme, pulling forward the date of vaccination to add to the Omicron defences.

6. A guarantee that flights will land and opening will not be delayed. While home isolation is still the plan, all travellers should be prepared for costs at the border if periods of MIQ have to be reintroduced at short notice.

Do we have Plan B?

The government has an opportunity to create Plan B at the border, rather than delay the opening. We have four weeks before Australian flights land and nine weeks before flights from the rest of the world arrive. Nobody in Government should be taking a Christmas holiday, while we have both onshore and offshore Kiwis who made bookings under the promise of certainty.

The job of Government is to forward plan. Assume the worst – that omicron is more infectious, more deadly or both. At some point further down the Greek alphabet, sigma or upsilon could create as much uncertainty. We cannot continue to be the only country in the world blocking the entry of our citizens.

Our MIQ accommodation providers need to be pre-approved and on standby lists. Health-staff need to be on standby lists. Hotel and motel protocols should be practised and signed off. We may have to prepare for domestic pre-flight testing in airports for those going to the regions. Plan B means role-playing the outcomes and having border settings ready to implement.

Passing the buck

To hear our politicians say those words “flyer beware” smacked of intellectual dishonesty. There was a passing of the buck to consumers and businesses. Those two words were a swerve in responsibly and a lost opportunity to confirm that New Zealand has turned a corner.

By leaving the country hanging until a “review” in the first week of January 2022, no one can place any trust in there being a Plan B for the border. A short delay on re-opening can only be a long delay; omicron clearly isn’t disappearing. With four to nine weeks to prepare, a delay is inexcusable.

Mistrust is building

Right now we have a deep sense of mistrust building in both the airline and travel industry. That’s incredibly worrying from a financial and economic perspective.

By failing this first test with omicron, there is also a deep sense of mistrust in being able to rely on our citizenship rights as New Zealanders.

Each of us will want to go on an international holiday or a visit to loved ones at some point. We could be asked to make an overseas trip by our employer. Money will be spent. Yet in the back of our minds, can we ever rely on getting home? Will we be the Kiwis who get deserted and denied entry, if a new pandemic or variant arises? This type of fear is unheard of in other countries.

When the opening dates were “locked in”, overseas media such as Business Traveller Europe printed gushing statements from our government. “We are making this announcement to give families, businesses, visitors and airline and airport companies certainty and time to prepare”.

Omicron quickly unveiled the “flyer beware” truth and a government still not committed to dealing with its international responsibility of allowing citizens in and out. Looking one step ahead to tourism, how can any airline or travel operator commit their clients to a country with a cancel.com mentality?

Janine Starks is the author of moneytips.nz and can be contacted at moneytips.nz@gmail.com. She is a financial commentator with expertise in banking, personal finance and funds management.