New Zealand will open the domestic border around Auckland in mid-December and let separated Kiwis back home for a Christmas reunion. Fully vaccinated people and those with a negative COVID-19 test result can enter Auckland from Dec. 15, by which time 90 percent of the country’s eligible population can be vaccinated, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Wednesday. Auckland, the country’s biggest city, has been in lockdown since Aug. 17 after an outbreak of the Delta variant of the novel coronavirus. The city’s 1.7 million residents will regain their freedoms shortly on Nov. 29, after which a vaccine certificate system will be adopted. “Aucklanders have faced restrictions for an extended period of time to keep the rest of New Zealand safe. But with increased rates of vaccination, it’s time to open up the ability to travel again,” Ardern said. “Aucklanders can now book summer travel and accommodation with confidence, and …