Cooks bubble will be ‘flyer beware’
WELLINGTON: New Zealand’s quarantinefree travel bubble with the Cook Islands will begin on May 17 but with a ‘‘flyer beware’’ caveat and a more precautionary approach should an outbreak happen there.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern confirmed the start date yesterday afternoon.
‘‘It will mean families can reconnect, commercial arrangements can resume and Kiwis can take a muchwelcomed winter break and support the Cook Islands’ tourism sector and recovery,’’ Ms Ardern said.
In a Facebook video, Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown said: ‘‘Our economy has been devastated. Today we start our journey of recovery. Today, we get back into business and today, we start to rebuild.’’
Ms Ardern said the start of the bubble was possible because the Cook Islands had taken steps to prevent, detect and manage Covid19.
The start date was still subject to final checks, including airline and airport readiness, and a final signoff by directorgeneral of health Ashley Bloomfield.
‘‘As in the case with Australia, the bubble comes with a ‘flyer beware’ caveat,’’ Ms Ardern said.
‘‘If there is an outbreak in New Zealand, flights are likely to be paused.’’
An outbreak in the Cook Islands would be met with a ‘‘highly precautionary approach’’, despite the work in the Cook Islands to be prepared for any cases.
It would likely lead to humanitarian support from New Zealand, including health professionals being sent over, and ‘‘if required, the return of travellers to New Zealand’’.
‘‘Rather than just asking everyone to shelter in place, like we would in Australia, we would be more likely to get our people home,’’ Ms Ardern said.
The introduction of the Pfizer vaccine in the Cook Islands was likely to start this month, but there were still details to be finalised.
Ms Ardern had previously said New Zealand had secured enough vaccines for all of New Zealand as well as the Cook Islands, Samoa, Tonga and Tuvalu.
Travellers will have to have been in either the Cook Islands or New Zealand for at least 14 days before travel.
This means anyone wanting to travel between Australia and the Cook Islands would need to spend at least 14 days in New Zealand before further travel.
Other realm countries were next in line for the bubble, but Ms Ardern said Tokelau was not in a hurry and travel was more complex as it was through Samoa.
‘‘But for Niue, when they’re ready, we’re ready.’’
Air New Zealand said it would fly to the Cook Islands two to three times weekly from May 17 using its 7879 fleet.
Jetstar, which flew in competition to Air New Zealand before the pandemic, said it could not return until Australia was part of the bubble.
µ Four new cases of Covid19 were reported in managed isolation and quarantine facilities yesterday. — The New Zealand Herald