The scheduled 'green flights' set to bring back trapped Kiwis in New South Wales will not go ahead at midnight tonight as scheduled.
"Clearly there is an escalating risk in NSW," Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said.
Instead, 1000 MIQ rooms will be freed up over the next few days so those stuck in NSW can come back, but will have to spend 14 days in isolation.
New Zealanders will be able to fly back on green flights from Midnight Friday. (Source: Other)
He said NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian had expressed concern people were not following lockdown rules, their case numbers continued to rise.
"If the lockdown isn't working and people haven't been following the rules... then that does add additional risk."
He said officials would work over the next few days to prepare the MIQ rooms, and group intakes would be reduced to free up more space. Hipkins estimated flights would not begin from NSW until at least Tuesday.
It comes as New South Wales struggles to contain the Delta outbreak, today recording 44 new community cases , while restrictions were tightened for the locked down public.
It was the highest count of community cases this year for NSW, and 29 of those new community cases were either partially or fully exposed in the community.
Green light flights were scheduled to go on sale from midnight tonight - with a negative PCR pre-departure within 72 hours test needed before flying.
The green light Queensland flights will still go ahead for returning New Zealanders at midnight tonight.
Hipkins expected they would review resuming the bubble with Queensland early next week.
On Wednesday, the pause on the Queensland bubble was extended after a review, meanwhile the pause on NSW continued due to the rising Delta outbreak.
A pause was placed on the entirety of Australia at the end of June, while quarantine-free travel with South Australia, ACT, Tasmania and Victoria resumed on July 4 and WA and NT scheduled to be back this Saturday.
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