Queenstown suffers as another bubble pops

Another transtasman travel suspension is ‘‘disheartening’’ for Queenstown business owners who have already faced mass cancellations.

Melbourne went into its fifth Covid-19 lockdown last night, as health authorities worked to contain the growing outbreak of two separate Delta strain clusters in Victoria.

The lockdown is expected to last between three and five days and means Melburians can only leave their homes for essential reasons.

Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins paused quarantine-free travel from Victoria to New Zealand at 1.59am today.

The pause will run for at least four days and be reviewed on Monday.

It is yet another hit for the resort town, which had recently been enjoying an influx of domestic tourists for the school holidays.

The Rees chief executive Mark Rose said they had already experienced ‘‘mass cancellations’’.

‘‘That started a couple of days ago, from Melbourne actually, because people are just unsure, and you can’t blame them.

‘‘It has just been horrific.’’

The company’s losses were ‘‘mounting’’ and were ‘‘substantial’’, he said.

‘‘I guess the hardest part for all of us [businesses] is we all brought staff back on from June 25.

‘‘I went from 72 to 95 staff members, and now we don’t have the people here.’’

He was concerned that August was nearing, which was a popular month for Australians to visit for conferences and skiing.

The travel pauses were also ‘‘pretty tough’’ on the hospitality industry, Republic Hospitality group general manager Tracy Pool said.

‘‘We have had quite a few cancellations from Australian university groups.

‘‘We have had groups that were 90 and are now 18.’’

Queenstown Mayor Jim Boult said the town was meant to be hosting thousands of Australians and enjoying a ‘‘bumper’’ ski season.

But it was not.

‘‘That is really tough,’’ he said.

‘‘We are going to be back in the position of struggling again.’’

Queenstown Chamber of Commerce chief executive Ruth Stokes said that many of the bookings for accommodation and skiing had been pushed back, rather than cancelled.

It meant September and October could be ‘‘stronger’’ than usual.

Five new cases of Covid-19 were reported in New Zealand managed isolation and quarantine facilities yesterday.

Another vessel in New Zealand waters was dealing with a Covid-19 outbreak yesterday.

Sixteen of the 18 crew members on the Spanish-flagged Playa Zahara had tested positive for the virus.

Crew members’ swabs were taken in Port Taranaki, after reports of a flu-like illness on board the ship.

The vessel was now on its way to Lyttelton, ``where the appropriate level of support can be provided''.

The Spanish-flagged Viking Bay earlier reported an outbreak of the virus among crew members.

All 15 of the infected crew members had been transferred to an on-shore quarantine facility in Wellington. — Additional reporting The New Zealand Herald