New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern joined Australia's coronavirus cabinet meeting on Tuesday as the neighbouring countries discuss reopening their borders to trans-Tasman travel following their successes in containing the disease.
Both countries have a COVID-19 mortality rate of just 1%, well below most other countries, and have boosted their medical equipment reserves as they plan to slowly reopen their economies, including restarting travel across the Tasman sea without mandatory quarantine periods.
"Australians and New Zealanders travel across the ditch more than anywhere else," Ardern told reporters in Wellington after attending the meeting via video with Australian ministers as well as state and territory leaders.
"So we both stand to benefit from getting travel up and running again."
The last time a New Zealand leader attended a meeting of Australia's cabinet was during World War Two.
The meeting was ongoing and more information would be released about a resumption in travel in a joint statement after its conclusion, Ardern said.
"When we feel comfortable and confident that we both won't receive cases from Australia, but equally that we won't export them, then that will be the time to move," she added.
"Neither of us want cases of COVID coming between our countries."
Australia has recorded around 6,800 infections and 96 deaths, and New Zealand 1,137 cases and 20 fatalities, thanks to the early imposition in both countries of social-distancing rules and the closure of borders to international visitors.
New Zealand recorded no new coronavirus cases for a second day in a row on Tuesday and Ardern has vowed to completely eliminate the pathogen from the country of almost five million people.
Ahead of the cabinet meeting, the premier of Australia's New South Wales state, Gladys Berejiklian, said she was hopeful that a travel "hub" could be formed between the two countries.
"We know that unfortunately international travel is a mid- to long-term vision, so if we can establish a hub between New Zealand and Australia I think that would be a very positive move," Berejiklian told reporters in Sydney before joining the meeting of Australia's emergency cabinet.
Qantas Airways Ltd Chief Executive Alan Joyce said regular flights between Australia and New Zealand could begin soon after domestic routes were reopened.
"It could be a very good model for the international market opening up in phases," the chief of Australia's largest airline told reporters.
Qantas is currently operating only 5% of its pre-crisis domestic passenger network and 1% of its international network.
ECONOMIC CLIFF
Australia may have lost almost a million jobs between mid-March and mid-April as large chunks of the economy shut down in the fight against the coronavirus, according to new figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
Canberra has unveiled economic support measures worth about A$320 billion (£165.6 billion) or about 16% of GDP, as restrictions on public movement push the country toward its first recession in nearly 30 years.
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, citing new analysis from his department, said the world's 12-biggest economy would take a 10% hit to gross domestic product in the June quarter.
But he said the impact would have been a lot worse if Australia had followed Europe's example and imposed stricter controls on all non-essential services.
"If these restrictions were increased even further, akin to the eight-week lockdown in Europe, then the adverse economic impact on GDP could double to 24%, or A$120 billion, in the June quarter," the treasurer said in his prepared remarks.
"This was the cliff we were standing on."
Reuters
Tue May 05 2020
Mesyuarat Khas WEF: PM Anwar jumpa 50 pemimpin industri, perniagaan global
PM yakin lebih banyak pelabur bernilai tinggi akan pilih Malaysia sebagai destinasi pelaburan.
Dipaksa bersalin normal, kepala bayi songsang terputus
Bahagian kemaluannya juga terkoyak teruk dan dijahit sebarangan oleh staf Rumah Sakit Banjarmasin.
AWANI Ringkas: Tangani isu ketidaksamaan & marginalisasi
Ikuti rangkuman berita utama yang menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari di Astro AWANI menerusi AWANI Ringkas.
AWANI Pagi: Twincity Marathon rai golongan kelainan upaya (OKU)
Perbezaan fizikal tidak melunturkan semangat golongan kelainan upaya (OKU) untuk menyertai acara larian Twincity Marathon anjuran Ten Senses di Cyberjaya pada Ahad.
Menurut Ketua Penasihat Ten Senses Sdn Bhd, Datuk Najib Ibrahim, komuniti itu juga merupakan sebahagian dari masyarakat dan semangat mereka boleh dijadikan teladan kepada masyarakat.
Menurut Ketua Penasihat Ten Senses Sdn Bhd, Datuk Najib Ibrahim, komuniti itu juga merupakan sebahagian dari masyarakat dan semangat mereka boleh dijadikan teladan kepada masyarakat.
Kanak-kanak Malaysia tidak cukup belajar di sekolah - Laporan Bank Dunia
Hanya 58 peratus pelajar di Malaysia didapati mahir membaca menjelang akhir Darjah 5.
Protes di universiti AS tidak tunjuk tanda perlahan
Dalam dua minggu lalu, protes pro-Palestin telah merebak ke kampus kolej utama di seluruh AS.
37 juta tan serpihan runtuhan di Gaza - UNMAS
Terdapat juga sejumlah besar senjata api yang tidak meletup tertimbus di dalam runtuhan yang menimbulkan risiko kepada kerja pembersihan.
Legenda EPL puji padang SNBJ
Pemain Manchester Reds dan Liverpool Reds memuji keadaan rumput yang cantik dan bersedia untuk kembali beraksi pada masa akan datang.
Mesyuarat Khas WEF: Dunia saling tidak percaya akibat kebergantungan dipersenjatakan - Naib Presiden Suruhanjaya Eropah
Fenomena hilang kepercayaan yang melanda komuniti antarabangsa ketika ini adalah akibat kebergantungan yang dipersenjatakan oleh beberapa pihak.
Che'gu Bard tiba di mahkamah bagi hadapi pertuduhan kes fitnah, hasut
Badrul Hisham, yang memakai baju Melayu berwarna hijau, dibawa oleh pihak polis ke mahkamah dalam keadaan bergari.
Piala Asia B-23: Indonesia ajar Australia cara main bola
Walaupun Australia mendominasi perlawanan pada separuh masa kedua, kehandalan benteng pertahanan Indonesia mudah mematahkan serangan demi serangan.
Paderi terkemuka Australia ditikam ketika 'live streaming'
Pemimpin gereja itu dilihat rebah ke lantai dan kedengaran suara jeritan para pengikutnya yang kemudiannya menerpa ke arahnya untuk membantunya.
Beratus dipindahkan susulan banjir di Australia
Perintah supaya berpindah dikekalkan di beberapa pekan selepas hujan lebat dan angin kencang yang menggemparkan komuniti di barat Sydney.
Lawatan rasmi ke Australia dan Jerman turut jana potensi jualan eksport produk Malaysia - PM Anwar
Lawatan rasmi ke Australia dan Jerman baru-baru ini, selain mendatangkan keberhasilan yang positif dengan potensi pelaburan, ia juga telah menjana potensi jualan eksport produk Malaysia.
KESUMA anjur forum, pameran kerjaya berasaskan pekerjaan hijau
Forum bertujuan menggalakkan perkembangan pekerjaan hijau selari dengan keperluan pembangunan ekonomi yang terangkum dan persekitaran mapan.
Kabinet bincang tawaran anjur Sukan Komanwel esok
Kerajaan akan memperincikan mengenai cadangan penganjuran sukan Komanwel 2026 dalam mesyuarat Jemaah Menteri, esok.
'Dua tahun tak cukup buat persiapan Sukan Komanwel'
Katanya, tempoh dua tahun merupakan satu masa yang singkat buat negara untuk membuat persiapan menganjurkan temasya besar tersebut.
Majoriti pelaburan diluluskan dalam sektor pembuatan disumbang pengembangan operasi sedia ada - Tengku Zafrul
Majoriti pelaburan diluluskan dalam sektor pembuatan tahun lepas disumbang daripada pengembangan operasi perniagaan sedia ada.
Lihat Malaysia sebagai pelaburan paling utama, destinasi modal - Anwar
Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim menyeru komuniti pelaburan antarabangsa supaya melihat Malaysia sebagai pelaburan paling utama dan sebuah destinasi modal.
Malaysia, Australia jalin hubungan ekonomi lebih kukuh menerusi empat kerangka utama - Anwar
Anwar berkata hubungan ekonomi antara Australia dan Malaysia berkembang kukuh sejak beberapa tahun kebelakangan ini berdasarkan kepentingan geoekonomi bersama dan usaha memakmurkan serantau.