Next New Zealand Hotel quarantine lottery to be held
New Zealand’s next lottery for positions in their hotel quarantine system are to be held today.
New Zealand requires all citizens crossing its borders quarantine at government-run hotels for 14 days. However, due to the limited number of rooms available, rooms have been rationed through a lottery system since August 2021. Notably, the managed isolation and quarantine system means only 4,000 spots are available at any given time, making the average chance of securing a spot 1 in 10.
The strict border restrictions have allowed Wellington to manage coronavirus cases, reporting only 51 deaths during the pandemic—one of the lowest rates in the world. Now, with cases of the Omicron variant spreading internationally, New Zealand has looked to address this by extending quarantine durations by 10 days and shortening the gap between second and booster vaccine doses from six to four months.
Expect Wellington to remain steadfast with its lottery system in hopes of managing an Omicron variant outbreak. While it is highly likely that the Omicron variant will eventually spread from hotel facilities in the short-term, it means New Zealand’s citizens abroad are unlikely to return home in the medium-term as positions in the lottery remain limited.
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