There are concerns that a group of Italian tourists who arrived in the country just hours before new travel restrictions were put in place, are freely visiting tourist hotspots around the country.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced on Monday that all incoming visitors from northern Italy along with South Korea would be required to self-isolate for 14 days.
However, before this a group of 15 Italians arrived in Auckland Monday morning on an Emirates flight, the majority from Covid-19 stricken northern Italy.
1 NEWS had a tip off from a person who interacted with the group and was worried firstly about their own wellbeing - and more importantly about potentially exposing New Zealanders to the dangerous coronavirus.
It would seem this group just squeezed into the country before the restrictions came into force, but today the Government moved the goalposts.
Health Minister David Clark telling 1 NEWS that people who have arrived in New Zealand from northern Italy before the ban should also go into self-isolation until 14 days have passed since their arrival.
Initially, the company organising their tour, the AOT Group, which is part of Hello World Travel was actively exploring ways to get them on their way around the country.
After ignoring 1 NEWS’ request for information for 24 hours, the company responded today saying: “At present, none of the passengers are showing any signs of coronavirus.
“They fully understand the potential risks and do not wish in any way to put others at risk.
“They have therefore decided to remain where they are, follow the guidance and return to Italy at the earliest opportunity,” Group General Manager AOT NZ Stuart Neels said.
1 NEWS asked had they taken to the streets of Auckland, enjoying some of the sights or had they self-isolated and had the company notified authorities or the Ministry of Health of their plans?
We have had no response to these questions and the Ministry of Health says they haven’t heard from the tour company.
A spokesperson for Tourism Industry Aotearoa says there's a lot of grey areas and the new travel protocols were made without thinking through all of the implications.
"We hope that people follow the rules and that’s what they need to do," Tourism Minister Kelvin Davis says.
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