New Zealand’s government says the omicron variant won’t affect the country’s re-opening plans, which include allowing for the return of displaced residents from January and tourists from April.

The moves ease harsh border restrictions implemented when the pandemic began that effectively banned tourists and required returning residents to spend two weeks in a quarantine hotel run by the military.

For the first 18 months of the pandemic, the border measures were considered vital in keeping New Zealand free from the virus and at times, demand for quarantine beds has far outstripped supply, causing some displaced residents to wait months for available slots.

But an August outbreak proved impossible to stamp out, prompting New Zealand to abandon its elimination strategy in October. Vaccination rates have also been rising, making the border measures increasingly hard to justify.

COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said the government had made difficult trade-offs to keep New Zealanders as safe as possible throughout the pandemic.

“We acknowledge that it has been very tough. Families have been separated. People have found themselves having to shelter in places they did not expect to stay for prolonged periods of time,” Hipkins said. “We are acutely aware of the impact that these restrictions have had on individuals’ lives and their livelihoods.”

Under the government’s plan, all incoming travellers will still be required to isolate themselves for seven days, at least for now.

Hipkins said it wanted to mitigate the virus risk posed by incoming travellers by reopening the border in stages.

Fully vaccinated New Zealanders will be able to return from Australia without staying in quarantine from Jan. 16 and from other countries after Feb. 13. The door will then open in stages to tourists and other travellers from April 30.

New Zealand is also removing a very-high-risk designation from certain countries including Indonesia, India, and Brazil, allowing people from those countries to return or visit.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced last week that bars, restaurants, and gyms can reopen in Auckland from Dec. 2, removing the last remnants of a lockdown that began in the nation’s largest city in August. On Monday, she said New Zealand had restricted travel from the affected southern African countries but didn’t anticipate any further measures.

The measure also signalled a new phase in New Zealand’s response to the pandemic, in which people around the country will need to be fully vaccinated in order to participate in anything from getting a haircut to watching a concert.

About 69% of New Zealanders are fully vaccinated, including 84% of those aged 12 and over. New Zealand has reported just 40 coronavirus deaths since the pandemic began.