Air NZ puts on hold international flights into New Zealand on govt's request

New Zealand said on Tuesday that its national airline will not take new bookings for three weeks because the country looks to limit the number of citizens returning home to reduce the load on overflowing quarantine facilities. thousands of New Zealanders are returning to the South Pacific nation while the COVID-19 pandemic worsens globally.

the South Pacific nation is among a handful of countries to have contained the coronavirus, re-opened its economy and restored pre-pandemic normalcy. Air New Zealand said it was pausing new bookings for the next three weeks, and would work with the New Zealand government to align daily arrivals with the capacity available at isolation facilities. New Zealand's borders are still shut to foreigners, and citizens and permanent residents have to undergo 14 days of mandatory quarantine. The country has nearly 6,000 people in 28 managed isolation facilities and was planning to scale up more spaces to manage demand in coming weeks.