Cook Islands Foreign Affairs and Immigration has issued a statement in light of returning Cook Islanders voicing frustration with immigration processes as they arrive home to share Christmas with loved ones.
On Tuesday, Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown said no passengers would be allowed onto Wednesday’s flight to Rarotonga from Auckland due to the Northland case. Since last November, Cook Islanders heading home haven’t had to undergo mandatory quarantine if they travelled from New Zealand. The 30 passengers who were booked for Wednesday’s flight had their tickets transferred to a Saturday flight, pending test results proving no community transmission had taken place.
RICKY WILSON/STUFF
Flight NZ940 from Auckland to Rarotonga departed about 9am on Saturday with about 50 passengers. (File photo) The three new cases prompted health authorities to ramp up testing efforts in Auckland, Rodney and Northland, however as of 1pm on Saturday, no further community cases have been identified..