The next MIQ room release has been postponed due to the "unprecedented" number of Omicron cases coming into New Zealand.
The release for Kiwis stuck overseas was due to go live on Thursday, January 20, but has been postponed until an unspecified date.
Head of MIQ Chris Bunny made the announcement on Tuesday evening.
"Due to the unprecedented number of Omicron cases coming into New Zealand and MIQ, a decision has been made to postpone the next room release," he said.
"There has been a 10-fold increase in positive COVID-19 cases at the border compared to December. The seven day rolling average of border cases is 33."
He also said the number of community cases, some of whom are required to come into MIQ, and the move to a 10-day MIQ stay have also put pressure on MIQ facilities.
https://twitter.com/MBIEgovtnz/status/1483330292370784259
Bunny said the decision on when the next lobby will be held hasn't been made yet.
"[It] will be considered in the coming weeks as part of Cabinet's considerations on the border and Reconnecting New Zealand," he said.
"We appreciate that this will be disappointing for many people wanting to come back to New Zealand. The government's strategy is to minimise the risk of Omicron in New Zealand as much as possible."
Emergency allocations will still be available for people who need to travel urgently and meet the eligibly criteria, although Bunny cautions this is a "last resort option with a very high threshold".
The MIQ announcement has outraged ACT leader David Seymour, who says it's time to allow Kiwis to come back to their own country.
"The Government's decision to yet again cancel the MIQ lottery will be devastating for Kiwis abroad and it's time for a solution," he says in a statement.
"We can't go on like this, families have been torn apart and businesses can't get workers. It's time for some certainty."
Seymour says ACT would allow fully vaccinated people who have tested negative to self-isolate.
"If it's good enough for COVID positive people to isolate at home, it should be good enough for low-risk people who just want to come home," he adds.
"Let's allow Kiwis to come back to their own country and be a team of six million."
