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Professor Des Gorman, a public health expert at the University of Auckland, said the new rules are a “very good idea”, but they cannot understand the exemptions.
“I don’t understand the exceptions for airline crews and grooms: the border is the border.”
Air New Zealand said some aircrews are tested while traveling and that it is consulting with experts and employees to find a testing regimen that “aligns with international lists and addresses the multiple existing mandatory testing requirements.”
Epidemiologist Michael Baker said the New Zealand border is vulnerable to aircrews importing COVID-19.
“We depend on them to keep cargo and passengers moving, but we also need a high-level security system to avoid bringing this infection.”
He added the removal plan and the community is still under threat as it is unclear how the virus got in last month or who brought it in.
“It doesn’t affect our ability to control it, it does affect our ability to prevent it from happening again, and that is why we have to be cautious and find all the loopholes and avoid it.”
Borders were already flagged as a weakness. In June, the government targeted them in a strict testing regime, and two months later, Newshub revealed that the regime was failing: Almost two-thirds of border workers were not tested.
“We just have to wait and trust that this time they will do what they say because we need to,” said Professor Gorman.
A great new border job while the old one is not over.
