New Zealand Opens Borders for Tourists from 50 Countries

New Zealand welcomed tourists from more than 50 countries including US, UK, and Japan for the first time in two years as the state dropped mostly of its pandemic border restrictions on Monday.

Considered as one of the top tourist destinations in the world, the country used to receive more than three million visitors in the year, and the revenues of tourism represented the 20% of New Zealand's foreign income, and 5% of its overall economy.

Early 2020, the state imposed the toughest COVID-19 border restrictions in the world, and closed its borders against tourism.

On the other hand, New Zealand reported its first Omicron subvariant, BA.4 at the border, case, the Ministry of Health announced on Sunday.

The patient had travelled from overseas to New Zealand, and tests have confirmed his infection of the newly-detected Omicron subvariant BA.4.

In the same context, two other subvariants of Omicron have been detected in the country in two passengers who arrived in New Zealand for the first time in April.

In the same context, the country recorded 12,699 new Coronavirus infections during the weekend, alongside 13 deaths linked to COVID-19.

"Moreover, there were new 138 cases of Coronavirus reported at the borders of the country during the weekend," the Ministry highlighted.

"The state reported its first infection of the newly-emerged Omicron subvariant, XE," the Ministry of Health announced last week.