20 Dec 2021 | 06:19 AM UTC
New Caledonia: Officials extend COVID-19 restrictions until at least Jan. 30; some curbs eased /update 23
New Caledonia maintaining COVID-19 controls until Jan. 30; some curbs eased. Health pass requirements altered. Border controls continue.
Event
New Caledonia officials have extended COVID-19 restrictions until at least Jan. 30. However, the government has ended an overnight curfew, and residents can now travel 23:00-05:00 for any reason. The government also raised the gathering limit from 30 to 50 people; outdoor public events may take place with up to 500 people with facemasks and other protocols. Authorities also ended a facemask requirement in outdoor public areas.
The government requires individuals 65 years old and older and people that received a Janssen vaccine to have another vaccine dose within seven months of their previous dose to maintain a health pass; the measure will apply to all residents 18 years old and above from Jan. 15. Other methods for obtaining a health pass remain in place.
Domestic Measures
Professional meetings can also occur with more than 50 people if videoconferencing is impossible with additional protocols. The government no longer requires employers to permit telecommuting but encourages it. Businesses, such as markets, hotels, and other essential outlets, may operate with health protocols. Places of worship must restrict attendance to half of capacity. Nightclubs remain closed.
Officials require a health pass for high-risk settings. Individuals must be fully vaccinated, test negative for COVID-19 in the previous 72 hours, or have recovered from COVID-19 within the past six months to obtain a health pass. The government permits bars and gambling establishments, dine-in service at restaurants, sports facilities, cultural buildings, theaters, and professionally organized events up to 65-percent capacity under the health pass scheme. People without a pass may still visit essential stores and use local transport and food takeaway services. Health passes are also mandatory for intercity, inter-island, and other domestic air or maritime travel. Air Caledonie (TY) has resumed most domestic services, albeit on reduced schedules.
Demonstrations against the extension of restrictions or vaccination mandates are possible, particularly in Noumea and other main towns. Activists could block roads in some locations, leading to localized transport disruptions. Officials will likely disperse any protests that violate gathering restrictions.
International Travel Restrictions
All entrants age 12 and above must complete an entry application before travel. New Caledonia permits entry for travelers fully vaccinated with the Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca, or Janssen/Johnson and Johnson doses and unvaccinated minors 17 years old or younger. Vaccinated arrivals must provide a negative result from a PCR test taken within 72 hours or antigen test taken 48 hours or less before departure. Other travelers must prove a compelling reason for entry; permitted unvaccinated entrants must take an antigen or PCR test within 24 hours before departure. French nationals resident in other areas of the Pacific can transit the territory.
Entrants must take a COVID-19 test upon arrival if requested and undergo a seven-day self-quarantine period; nonresidents must arrange accommodations in advance. Most arrivals, excluding those 12 years old or under, must take another COVID-19 test before entering the community. Tests are available for free at pharmacies with a plane ticket. Anyone that tests positive for COVID-19 must self-quarantine an additional 10 days.
Advice
Follow all official instructions. Abide by national health and safety measures. Reconfirm all transport arrangements and required travel documents before traveling as a precaution. Consider delaying traveling if experiencing symptoms associated with COVID-19, as they may prompt increased scrutiny and delays. Avoid all demonstrations as a standard precaution.
