Cook Islands to open up quarantine-free travel with NZ in January

There’s good news for Kiwi tourists with the Cook Islands on Friday night announcing two-way quarantine-free travel from January 13.

Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown says cabinet made the decision based on a range of high-level advice from its own Border Easement Taskforce and data modelling experts from New Zealand.

He said keeping the borders closed indefinitely was no longer a viable option.

“Our border closure has hit many people very hard and it has taken a toll, mentally and financially. That is why cabinet today has very carefully weighed the balance between living in a Covid-19-free bubble – to living outside that bubble with safety,” he said.

The Cook Islands has a 96 per cent vaccination rate of the eligible population.

All travellers to the Cook Islands must be double vaccinated and return a negative Covid test before boarding their flight.