The New Zealand government announced Thursday it will end its quarantine requirements for incoming travelers and carry out a phased reopening of its borders. The country has been imposing strict border controls for much of the past two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Most incoming travelers have been required to quarantine for 10 days in a hotel room run by the military. The requirement was creating a bottleneck at the border. The latest changes, outlined in a five-step plan, mean that COVID-19 vaccinated New Zealanders returning from Australia will no longer need to go into quarantine from Feb. 27. Also, COVID-19 vaccinated New Zealanders returning from countries other than Australia can enter by March 13 without quarantine. The same applies to foreign vaccinated skilled workers, as well as travelers on working holiday schemes. Up to 5,000 international students will be allowed to enter the country without quarantine starting April 12. By …