Covid-19: Flight to Cook Islands cancelled in wake of new cases

Cook Islands officials have announced passengers from New Zealand will not be granted entry in the wake of new Covid-19 cases, cancelling an upcoming flight.

Health authorities were asking passengers from a flight last Friday to self-isolate.

On Sunday evening (New Zealand time), a media release said the Cook Islands Cabinet had met and considered advice and recommendations from officials regarding New Zealand’s recent changes in alert levels.

“Based on the advice they received, Cabinet has decided not to allow the passengers booked on the next flight arriving on the afternoon of Tuesday 2nd March 2021 (CKT) to enter the Cook Islands.”

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This flight was due to leave Auckland International Airport on Wednesday (NZT) at 9.05am.

The media statement said the Cook Islands Cabinet had agreed to reinstate the temporary closure of the Cook Island air border for 72 hours.

Affected passengers would be contacted directly but people were encouraged to change their flights in the meantime.

Cabinet would meet again at the beginning of the week to review the situation and confirm whether passengers on a flight later in the week would be allowed in.

Prime Minister Mark Brown said the decision was made based on information received by officials – including the Ministry of Health in New Zealand.

Brown also acknowledged Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern for the “heads up” prior to New Zealand learning of its alert level changes on Saturday.

Te Marae Ora, the Cook Islands Ministry of Health, is trying to contact all passengers on board a flight from Auckland that arrived in Rarotonga on Friday afternoon, “as a result of last night’s announcements”.

They will all be asked to self-isolate, a statement from the ministry said.

There were 84 passengers on the flight.

The order to self-isolate also applies to members of their households.

Since November, Cook Islanders heading home haven’t had to undergo mandatory quarantine if they travelled from New Zealand.

The passengers will also be asked to have a Covid-19 test on Sunday, then another test six days later.

The 135 passengers on board a flight that arrived on February 23 all had a Covid-19 test on Saturday, the ministry said.

“The results have all come back negative.”

Fifteen people who arrived on that flight have also been asked to self-isolate, the statement said.

“Te Marae Ora would appreciate passengers who arrived on the two flights this week to fully cooperate.”

Two large family funeral services were held in the Cook Islands on Friday evening, and anyone from the latest flights who attended those was asked to phone the ministry.

Earlier, two flights from Auckland to Rarotonga were cancelled due to fears over the recent outbreak.

Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown said while the risk of Covid-19 transmission was low, there was still a level of risk for the Cook Islands.

“There is still a lot of unknowns around the likely source, and although the outbreak is contained, there is every chance more community cases will be found,” he said last week.

Case M was required to isolate after being tested for the virus, but visited a gym in Papatoetoe, Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield said.

A list of other locations linked to the case includes Manukau Institute of Technology’s Manukau campus, the Pak’nSave in the same suburb, and a pharmacy in Papatoetoe's Hunters Corner.