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However, the group representing foreign vessels says the port’s decision could affect international trade.
“Boat owners just won’t want to pay for the additional expense of 14 days of isolation, which could mean that boat owners don’t want to come to New Zealand,” said Billy Preston, president of the Association of Ship Owners and Agents of Transport. New Zealand.
Health Minister Chris Hipkins has indicated that mandatory testing of all foreign crew could be announced this week, although his position on isolation remains unclear.
But ports see both as key to protecting us and our Pacific neighbors.
“It is very important to keep COVID out of the Pacific, and we can help achieve that,” Ball said.
Hundreds of international crew members have already arrived in New Zealand without mandatory testing or isolation.
Immigration New Zealand told Newshub that as of August 10, 466 replacement visas have been approved for cargo ship crews.
324 foreign crew have already arrived in New Zealand. The remaining 142 are yet to come.
Newshub first came to the fore on August 13, nearly two months after a test strategy was announced.
On August 17, when asked about the lack of testing by quarantine workers, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said officials were unaware that testing rates were not up to scratch.
“Of course no one ever told us, that I remember, that what we asked for was not happening,” Ardern said.
However, recently released documents show that the Cabinet did know.
A briefing on August 7 told ministers that weekly testing of quarantined workers had not started and that only 12 of 2,100 dock workers had been tested.
A spokesman for the prime minister says problems with border personnel testing have now been corrected.
