A Kiwi based in the US is cautiously optimistic following the Government's announcement on Thursday of a five-stage plan to reopen New Zealand's borders.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced a plan for New Zealand to reopen its borders with Australia on February 27 at 11:59pm. Fully vaccinated New Zealanders and other eligible travellers from the rest of the world will then be able to enter and home-isolate from 11.59pm on March 13.
Moira Duffy, who was raised in Hamilton, moved to the US in November 2019, where she works in legal technology sales.
She told 1News the “hardest part" about the current border closures is being “so far away from family and not having the hopes of coming home”.
“That rollercoaster ride of having hope that things are going to be in place and I can start to look at coming home and then having that pulled away so constantly.
“That emotional rollercoaster really takes its toll, especially when big events - birthdays, end of year prizegivings for my nieces - all of those small things that are really important to be there for and I would have preferred to be there for. It’s really hard to watch from a distance.”
Adding to her concerns is the possibility that “if something happens to my family, not knowing if I can actually get home to be there with my family," she said.
“It’s definitely that concern that back in my mind always, that can be the email or the text message that tells me something’s happened to someone I love and I have to figure out how the heck I can win the lottery system and get a room in MIQ when I’ve seen so many people not be able to do that.”
It has been in place for nearly two years now. (Source: 1News)
Duffy said she had “decided only two weeks ago” to “stop even looking at updates around the border situation”, adding: “I just couldn’t handle the emotional rollercoaster any longer; it was too hard.”
“It was starting to really get at me because I miss home a lot,” she said, becoming emotional.
Duffy was largely based in Colorado, before moving to San Francisco in May 2020.
“Moving to a new city in the middle of a pandemic in America is definitely not the easiest thing to do and phone calls and Skype and FaceTime and all that, I’ve been texting but nothing replaces being home.”
She said while Thursday’s announcement is "awesome” and “really exciting to have the idea that we’re making progress”, Duffy is reluctant to get her hopes up.
“This is not the first time we’ve been here and really apprehensive to get too excited because there’s just that lack of confidence that this is actually going to happen and that I won’t be in a position of me booking flights and going through that whole process of figuring out leave with my workplace and isolation and all that - there’s so many moving parts to this now.
“I don’t want to be in a position having to rebook things because the situation has changed, the Government has changed their mind and it’s no longer the right way to go and I’m blocked.”
Despite her concerns, Duffy said she’s “so excited to just hug all of my family”.
“Everyone has been amazing at sending me little bits of New Zealand that I miss but nothing replaces enjoying all of the New Zealand food and scenery with the people that I love actually being around and hearing everyone’s accents again - and maybe getting a little bit of my Kiwi accent back.”
Appearing on Seven Sharp on Thursday night, Ardern assured viewers the plan to reopen the borders will definitely be going ahead on the dates outlined.
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