New Zealand is reviewing its COVID-19 reopening strategy, set to begin this weekend, with a view to loosening border settings.
From 11.59pm on Sunday, double-vaccinated Kiwis in Australia who test negative will be able to enter New Zealand without heading to hotel quarantine.
From next month, Kiwis further abroad will also be able to do so, and later this year, so will key visa holders and travellers of all nationalities, as the government seeks to restore border normality.
However, NZ will still require all international arrivals to complete a mandatory self-isolation period of one week.
That restriction will effectively stop many business travellers, leisure travellers and tourists from either heading off on visits abroad or visiting New Zealand.
Given the self-isolation border handbrake has been applied with the goal of stopping the spread of the virus, the government can see the illogicality of the policy as the virus runs rampant.
On Thursday, health officials announced the highest single-day count yet - 6137 cases - compared with just eight cases picked up at the border.
"We are reviewing the self-isolation requirements for people coming into the country," COVID-19 Minister Chris Hipkins confirmed.
"We're getting advice on ... whether people should still need to self-isolate on arrival in New Zealand and we expect to get that advice in the next week or two and consider that and make further decisions."
Asked whether self-isolation could be scrapped within a month, Mr Hipkins said within a month the government would "certainly make a decision on that".
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has tasked famed epidemiologist Sir David Skegg to assess the border rules, which were announced three weeks ago.
"We've already dropped (self-isolation) down to seven days. We've said we believe it will reduce again," she said.
"We are seeking advice from David Skegg's group on his view on that question. That's a group we've often used for our decisions that relate to the border."
When Kiwis do arrive from Australia from Monday, instead of being put on a bus or plane to a hotel quarantine, they will receive a 'welcome home' pack.
The pack will contain information on COVID-19 rules and three rapid antigen tests - two to take during isolation, and one as backup.
