Results for New Zealand

A repatriation flight from Auckland planned for Wednesday, March 3 has been postponed due to New Zealand raising its lockdown levels, the Tonga government announced today.

New York Times reporting: First the houses and cars vanished. Fences, driveways and the other remaining markers of suburban life followed. Now, only stretches of green remain — an eerie memorial to two earthquakes that leveled Christchurch, New Zealand’s second-largest city, 10 years ago. The undulating expanse, which begins 2 miles from downtown Christchurch, was deemed uninhabitable after the quakes, the second of which killed 185 people on Feb. 22, 2011. The 8,000 properties it encompassed were bought by the government and razed, the remnants swept away.

New Zealand expects to vaccinate border workers within two to three weeks, followed by their household contacts, with the first batch of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine set to arrive in the country next week, announced Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern today.

The first shipment of 16.6 metric tonnes of Tongan watermelons was exported to Auckland, New Zealand on December 17, after the October ban was lifted. It is a new milestone for Tonga's agricultural sector, said local farmer and exporter, Minoru Nishi Jr today.

The New Zealand Government will purchase COVID-19 vaccines from pharmaceutical companies AstraZeneca and Novavax, meaning every New Zealander will be able to be vaccinated, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced today. “We have secured more than enough doses to cover our entire population plus the Pacific,” she said. Vaccinations for the public are on track to start in mid-2021.

New York Times reporting: Unilever New Zealand said it would begin a one-year experiment to allow all 81 of its employees to earn their full salaries while working one day fewer per week, a move the company said might actually boost productivity and improve employees’ work-life balance. Some business and productivity experts say the concept may finally get a serious look amid a pandemic that has altered how billions live and work around the globe.

One hundred and seventy-five repatriated passengers arrived at Fua’amotu International Airport from Auckland, New Zealand yesterday, 19 November, confirmed Tonga Police this morning.

New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has congratulated President-elect Joe Biden and Kamala Harris on their victory in the US Presidential election. “The campaign by the President-elect has also shown the shared interests we have in addressing global challenges like Covid-19 and climate change.” she said in a statement today, “the message of unity from Joe Biden positions us well to take those challenges on.”

The stoppage of Tongan watermelon exports to New Zealand and kava exports to Australia is having a drastic impact on the Tongan economy, Lord Tu'i'afitu told the Tongan Parliament this week. Desperate growers are now trying to sell thousands of export quality watermelons along Tonga roadsides for only a few pa'anga each. Quality control was lost when Tonga's expert agricultural advisers left the country, and with a continuing border closure it will take a long time to replace them. From the House by Pesi Fonua