Wait, we can still travel?
Countries worldwide have been lockdown for months in effort to “flatten the curve”. In return, tourism industry went into a near-standstill situation, threatening the economy. Only essential travel are allowed, even so, those who travel to another country usually require a mandatory 14 days self-isolation upon arrival. There is, however, a way out of quarantine — travel bubble.
What is it?
Travel bubbles, also known as “travel bridges” or “corona corridors”, are exclusive agreements between neighbouring countries who have shown success in containing and combating covid-19. This partnership allows countries to open up their borders and allow people within the bubble to move freely without mandatory quarantine. Travel bubble requires faith and trust between partner countries, usually, these countries have shown
effective quarantine, widespread testing and contact tracing.
Baltic bubble: Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania
The term “travel bubble” actually came from Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania when they decided to form a trilateral partnership and opened borders in mid-May, or as they like to call it a “Baltic bubble”. By doing so, they have rekindle their trade relations and revive certain sectors in their economy.
Is New Zealand ditching Australia?
New Zealand may be pulling back their travel bubble proposal with Australia in light of recent soaring covid-19 cases in Melbourne. Instead of Australia, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern made it clear to prioritise travel arrangements with Cook Islands, which is one of the few countries in the world that have not reported any covid-19 cases.
Travel bubble has given us a glimpse of hope. While it is still far from our ideal situation, it is certainly a big step towards the right direction.
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