New Zealand has had the controversial MIQ system for nearly two years.
Opposition parties at times called it a "lottery of human misery", while the Government hailed it as a life-saver in uncertain times.
Here’s a timeline of Aotearoa's managed isolation:
March 2020: Our borders closed to anyone except New Zealand citizens and residents, after the country’s first Covid19 case in February.
April 2020: Anyone entering New Zealand was required to enter MIQ and 18 isolation facilities opened.
June 2020: New MIQ hotels open in Rotorua, Christchurch, Hamilton, and Auckland.
July 2020: MIQ opened in Wellington and police were introduced after security breaches.
August 2020: The NZ Defence Force was deployed and charges were introduced for some users.
October 2020: The allocation system was introduced and travellers were required to have a MIQ voucher before flying.
January 2021: The introduction of pre-departure tests for all arrivals, except from low-risk countries like Australia.
February 2021: The vaccine rollout began, MIQ workers were eligible for their jabs.
April 2021: The trans-Tasman bubble opened.
July 2021: The trans-Tasman bubble was suspended.
August 2021: The Delta outbreak moved the country to Alert Level 4 and community cases were placed into MIQ.
September 2021: A virtual lobby was added to the MIQ booking system to manage high demand.
November 2021: MIQ stays for arrivals were reduced to seven days, followed by home isolation.
December 2021: MIQ stays increased to ten days after the emergence of Omicron.
Jessica Mutch McKay gives her opinion on a big day for the PM who has been slipping in the polls. (Source: 1News)
The MIQ system has caught thousands of Covid-19 cases at the border and played a major role in many of the domestic freedoms New Zealand has had during the pandemic.
On Thursday the Prime Minister announced the five-step plan to open the borders.
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