As Omicron surges, New Zealand's businesses want Covid bubble burst
Gulf Times
A testing site for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is seen in Wellington, New Zealand.
New Zealand's tight Covid-19 bubble was once globally lauded but for local business, the strict border controls increasingly feel like a straitjacket as a lack on foreign workers and tourists squeezes the island nation's economy.
Meat processors have cut production and a dearth of international visitors has some tourism operators worried they will have to close shop by the time borders reopen later this year.
New Zealand's swift response to the pandemic, including the strict border controls, kept the country largely Covid-19 free until the end of last year, winning Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's government strong praise at home and abroad.
But public anger over sustained domestic restrictions has since grown, reaching a climax last month during violent protests outside the nation's legislature in Wellington.
