The first international flight since the border reopened to visa waiver visitors has touched down at Auckland Airport on Monday morning.
Air New Zealand flight NZ5 from Los Angeles landed in Auckland at about 5:30am carrying the first wave of tourists.
Meanwhile, there was a drop in COVID-19 cases on Sunday for the fourth straight day with 5656 new infections and 466 hospitalisations reported.
Another six COVID-19 deaths were reported, which included people who had died over the previous three days.
What you need to know:
All of New Zealand is at orange in the COVID Protection Framework.
New Zealand recorded 5656 new community COVID cases on Sunday.
Six additional deaths of people with COVID-19 were reported.
There are 466 people in hospital, 16 of whom are in ICU.
Location of community cases (PCR & RAT): Northland (139), Auckland (606), Waikato (341), Bay of Plenty (175), Lakes (116), Hawke’s Bay (149), MidCentral (202), Whanganui (64), Taranaki (149), Tairāwhiti (99), Wairarapa (58), Capital and Coast (360), Hutt Valley (152), Nelson Marlborough (222), Canterbury (931), South Canterbury (118), Southern (625), West Coast (74), Unknown (6).
Locations of hospitalisations: Northland: 29; Waitemata: 75; Counties Manukau: 64; Auckland: 97; Waikato: 37; Bay of Plenty: 19; Lakes: 2; Tairāwhiti: 1; Hawke’s Bay: 11; Taranaki: 7; Whanganui: 3; MidCentral: 5; Wairarapa: 3; Hutt Valley: 6; Capital and Coast: 12; Nelson Marlborough: 6; Canterbury: 60; South Canterbury: 3; West Coast: 1; Southern: 25.
These live updates are now over.
9:37am - Pictures are emerging of the heartfelt moment people have been reunited with friends and family following the easing of the border rules for visitors arriving from visa waiver countries.
The first flights from the US touched down at Auckland airport on Monday morning bringing tourists, from outside Australia, for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
8:58am - Newshub has received a photo showing a large Kia Ora sign welcoming tourists into Auckland.
The Government announced in March that from 11:59pm on Sunday, vaccinated visitors from visa-waiver countries can finally enter New Zealand quarantine-free for the first time in over two years.
Two Air New Zealand flights landed at Auckland Airport from the US on Monday morning bringing the first wave of tourists.
8:28am - Air New Zealand chief executive Greg Foran has called for the Government to axe COVID-19 pre-departure testing.
Foran said it "adds friction" requiring people to have COVID-19 tests to come to New Zealand and he would like the Government to remove the requirement.
"I wouldn't say it quite as clear cut as saying that pre-departure test is a complete handbrake on people travelling," he told AM host Melissa Chan-Green.
"We are seeing people, certainly very keen to get out and travel and reconnect with friends and family. There is no doubt it does add some friction and that friction is both an inconvenience in having to get something else completed before you travel and then obviously the cost.
"We would much prefer if we didn't have pre-departure testing, either for countries that people are flying to and that isn't in New Zealand's control, but definitely coming into New Zealand, which is in our control."
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8:15am - The second international flight since New Zealand eased its border requirement for visitors from visa waiver countries has just landed at Auckland Airport.
Air New Zealand flight NZ7 from San Francisco touched down at 7:44am on Monday bringing more tourists into the country.
It comes after Air New Zealand flight NZ5 from Los Angeles was the first flight to arrive in New Zealand with tourists at about 5:30am.
The Government announced in March that from 11:59pm on Sunday, vaccinated visitors from visa-waiver countries can finally enter New Zealand quarantine-free for the first time in over two years.
6:43am - Stuart Nash told AM on Monday, Government will make an announcement on the maritime borders, which would allow cruise ships to return to New Zealand "very, very soon".
"The cruise ship season tends to start in October, we are working very closely with the Crusie Ship Association and we are expecting a full cruise ship season to start in October," he said. "An announcement is going to be made very, very soon with regards to this. We are just still waiting on the last final details to come through from health."
6:34am - Tourism Minister Stuart Nash told AM on Monday there is a "festival atmosphere" at Auckland Airport as the first flight arrived since the border reopened to visa waiver visitors.
Air New Zealand flight NZ5 from Los Angeles touched down at around 5:30am carrying the first wave of tourists.
"I will say it's pretty loud here. We have the welcome party, we have people coming in and we are now open to the world, it is fantastic to see," Nash told AM wearing a t-shirt saying Hello, Kia ora, welcome to Aotearoa.
"It's a bit of a festival atmosphere, there is a Maori welcome group, there is a whole lot of people, it's really good to see."
In November 2020, Nash become the Tourist Minister, so Monday is just the second occasion he has welcomed international visitors into the country, after doing so in April when Australians were allowed back into New Zealand.
"Apart from Australians, it's just wonderful, it's part of the reconnecting strategy but it's also part of saying to the rest of the world we are open for business, come in," he told AM.
"Tourism New Zealand has done an awesome job in creating a real aspiration for New Zealand around the world, it's now time to see what Tourism New Zealand has been marketing for the last two years."
Nash doesn't believe the requirement of people having to have a pre-departure COVID-19 test and a Rapid Antigen Test on arrival in New Zealand will see numbers drop.
"I think the vast majority of countries around the world are asking for that, it's just about keeping New Zealanders safe," he explained.
"As we know everyone that wants to come back will be vaccinated, they would've had a pre-departure test before they arrive and they have to have a RAT when they arrive.
"It's part of keeping our community safe but by-in-large, we are finally having people coming into this country, spending dollars and all our wonderful tourism hot sports around this fantastic country, it's really good to see."
5:50am - The first flight in the next phase of New Zealand's border reopening has just landed at Auckland Airport on Monday morning.
The Government announced in March that from 11:59pm on Sunday, vaccinated visitors from visa-waiver countries can finally enter New Zealand quarantine-free for the first time in over two years.
Air New Zealand flight NZ5 from Los Angeles landed in Auckland at about 5:30am carrying the first wave of tourists.
5:45am - Kia ora, good morning and welcome to Newshub's live updates of the COVID-19 outbreak and border reopening for Monday.
