Letters to the Editor: Open NZ's borders? Not without a vaccination passport

Wellington Airport departures entrance. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Open borders? Hell no, not before we have a secure Covid-19 inoculation passport, one that can't be forged or that can be checked with the country of origin for validity.

Also due to the extraordinary shortage of housing, it would be insane to bring in more residents before the motels and emergency housing complexes are empty. We will need them for all the tourists who, once the passports are sorted, will flock to our country.

We do need to set an immigration limit, say 1000 per year, to allow for New Zealand to bring in properly vetted experts and scientists who will be able to bring their immediate family with them and should be bonded to NZ for five to 10 years.

I suggest a public inquiry to find out why, when housing is in such a state, Immigration allowed 4000 or more people to immigrate every month for several years.

This, combined with the Reserve Bank destroying the value of our dollar, caused the terrible housing problem we are now stuck with.

Obviously, seasonal workers should be welcomed because Kiwis seem unable to carry out this work.

Growers are good at bringing in these workers and looking after them. It's good income for the Pacific Islands too.

Dan Russell
Tauranga

Open New Zealand's borders by Christmas

Why don't we already have a specific date to open up New Zealand again?

There should be enough time to vaccinate all people in NZ to enable us to open up our borders and get rid of lockdowns in time for Christmas.

Our country needs a big cash injection, and an economy quick boost, and the best time for this is the summer holiday season.

December 11 would allow three months to finish vaccinations, and allow people here and overseas visitors to make bookings and plans, and give businesses a definite date to prepare by.

Not having a named date for this goal is allowing procrastinators and undecideds to put off a decision. As for those who do not want to vaccinate, we are unlikely to change their minds so there is no point waiting for them.

Maybe FOMO before a planned Christmas border opening and lockdown ending will make people get off the fence, and get vaccinated if they plan to, and encourage organisations to get a move on vaccinating their people.

Otherwise, we are unfairly damaging businesses and their owners by allowing people to dilly-dally indefinitely.

We need these businesses - they are New Zealand's life blood.

V Ross
Pāpāmoa Beach

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