[Source: TVNZ]

It has been a very nervous few days for residents in Melbourne, as the city’s COVID-19 cluster has continued to swell.

Cases have visited supermarkets, swimming pools and an AFL game, with the list of exposure sites now approaching 70.

As a result, New Zealand’s hit pause for the third time on the travel bubble.

This has already happened for Perth and Sydney, but this time it’s different.

Both of those times saw the New Zealand Government stick to its plan of only pausing for 72 hours.

With Melbourne’s outbreak continuing to worsen, it’s hard not to imagine a scenario where that travel ban will be extended.

There’ve been constant warnings of “flyer beware”, with New Zealanders told that if they head to Australia they run the risk of getting trapped should COVID-19 re-emerge.