COVID-19: Australia suspends New Zealand travel bubble

Starting January 25, Austria imposed a physical distancing rule of two meters between each person in public places, instead of one meter until now. Wearing masks will now also be compulsory in stores and on public transport. Pic/AFP

Australia has suspended its partial travel bubble with New Zealand after New Zealand reported its first coronavirus case outside of a quarantine facility in two months.

Australian Health Minister Greg Hunt said on Monday the suspension would last for three days and was being implemented out of an abundance of caution. Travellers need to cancel or face two weeks in quarantine upon arrival.

Health officials in New Zealand say the patient appears to have caught the more infectious South African variant of the virus from another traveller on her second-to-last day in quarantine, and they're investigating how the health breach happened.

Oz vaccine rollout in Feb

Australia's medical regulator approved the use of its first vaccine - by Pfizer and BioNTech, paving the way for inoculations to begin in February.

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