The Cook Islands government is putting tough measures in place for those hoping to return home after a Cook Islands vaccination centre volunteer in Auckland tested positive.
Several people are now in quarantine and self isolation, after a serious breach of safety protocols last week.
The Cook Islands' Olympic Chef de Mission, John Paul Wilson, can’t wait to go home.
He and eight others have been away for nearly three months and are looking forward to catching a special repatriation flight arranged by the Cook Islands government for October 15.
“Honestly, I cant wait to go back but hey it’s one of those things that’s out of our control,” he said.
On Wednesday, the Cook Islands cabinet added more border requirements for those on the Auckland repatriation flight after hearing about a volunteer at a Cook Islands vaccination centre in Auckland tested positive.
The volunteers had been told to do a Covid-19 test but many didn’t, including the Covid-19 positive case, and they weren’t asked to present a negative result when entering the site.
1News understands all of the close contacts of the Covid case have tested negative and it seems to be contained.
But some of the volunteers included stranded Cook Islanders booked on the repatriation flight, which prompted tighter new restrictions for those returning home.
The 280 people leaving on the Auckland flight will have to take three negative Covid-19 tests before flying, self-isolate for two weeks before they leave and quarantine in Rarotonga for at least a fortnight.
Those leaving on the Christchurch flight on October 7 will have to provide one negative test 72 hours before departure and do at least a week quarantine in the Cook Islands.
The case comes after a serious breach of safety protocols and has led the Cook Islands government to put tough measures in place for those hoping to return home. (Source: Other)
Speaking on the weekend, Prime Minister Mark Brown said his Government were being cautious because of the large number of children in New Zealand who had contracted Covid-19.
“That is a risk my Government is not prepared to take,” he said.
He also said that it’s important the Cook Islands remains free of Covid-19 because a case would mean the country would lose its current quarantine free status in New Zealand.
“The cost of having to quarantine let alone the shortage of quarantine hotel rooms in New Zealand would be a disaster for our people so maintaining our Covid-free status is important,” he said.
SHARE ME