TRAVEL SUSPENSION

AUCKLAND: New Zealand has suspended travel from India in response to a surge in Covid cases among recent arrivals.

The ban would begin on Sunday and remain in place until April 28.

The travel halt followed news that 17 of the 23 new Covid cases in managed isolation announced yesterday had arrived from India.

While arrivals from India had triggered the risk assessment, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the Government would be looking at risks posed by other Covid hot spot countries.

‘‘This is not a permanent arrangement but rather a temporary measure,’’ Ms Ardern said.

Health teams would use the time until April 28 to try to plan safer ways to accept travellers from India.

Ms Ardern wanted to look at the quality of Covid testing in other countries and whether tests were being taken in the 72 hours before departure.

Health teams would likely look at the flight routes arrivals took, not just their country of origin.

Auckland Indian Association president Narendrabhai Bhana said he had no problem with the Government’s decision to temporarily suspend flights from India.

‘‘We do realise that there are a large number of Covid cases in India at the moment,’’ he said.

‘‘It’s for the safety of our Kiwi citizens.

‘‘We really have no problem with the New Zealand Government suspending flights from India until we can get on top of it.’’

Ms Ardern said more than 80% of border workers had now been vaccinated.

Those who were not vaccinated were set to be moved into other roles and would not be able to remain in a Covid highrisk job.

Her expectation was that all the country’s frontline border workers had to be vaccinated.

The Government allowed time for those who did not wish to be vaccinated to consider their options and seek more information. However, from Monday those who still did not wish to be vaccinated would need to move to other roles.

New Zealand had space in its quarantine facilities and yesterday’s announcement was about reducing risk.

It was clear from the fact that New Zealand has had more than 60 cases in MIQ in the past two weeks that the Government had to review its options to reduce the risk, she said.

Ms Ardern said testing had shown that some of the arrivals had contracted Covid just before departing from their country of origin and that was why the temporary halt was needed.

People were getting sick in the act of coming to New Zealand, not necessarily on the plane, but even just heading to the airport.

Ms Ardern was not looking at suspensions of arrivals from other countries at the moment.

While there were other highrisk countries, they did not have as many people travelling to New Zealand.

Directorgeneral of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield yesterday revealed 23 people in managed isolation facilities had been diagnosed with active Covid-19 cases overnight, including 17 who had travelled from India.

The other positive cases arrived from Pakistan, Egypt and England.

All travelled through the United Arab Emirates on the way to New Zealand.

The influx of cases followed news of a new Auckland community case after a worker at the Grand Millennium managed isolation and quarantine facility also tested positive.

Dr Bloomfield said yesterday’s high number of MIQ Covid cases was significant.

The ministry was now looking at additional measures to help stop Covid transmission during flights between India and New Zealand, and travellers might also have to isolate in India while awaiting predeparture tests, he said.

Dr Bloomfield said health teams could also look at putting travellers from highrisk countries into one MIQ facility. — The New Zealand Herald