Covid 19 coronavirus: New Zealand will require pre-departure testing for UK and US travelers.

By RNZ

All travelers from the UK or US will need a negative Covid-19 test result before departing for New Zealand, the government confirmed today.

The new rules will go into effect on January 15.

Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said that work was already underway to extend the requirement to other long-haul flights to New Zealand.

“The new PCR test requirement, heralded last week, will require travelers from the UK or the US to have a written form, certified by a laboratory or other form of approved evidence, showing a negative result in all 72 hours prior to departure “. Hipkins said.

“It will go into effect on flights arriving in New Zealand after 11:59 p.m. on January 15.

“Similar measures are in the works for travelers using most of the other long-haul routes to New Zealand. We hope to be in a position to provide more details over the next week, after we get a more complete picture of travel regimes. testing and capabilities in overseas jurisdictions “.

Earlier this week, the Government announced an additional Covid-19 test on day one, in addition to the tests on days three and 12, as an additional layer of protection amid new variants of the virus emerging abroad.

But it was warned that introducing a pre-departure Covid-19 test for desperate Kiwis trying to get home from high-risk countries could create unfair barriers.

Hipkins said the government was aware that the new requirement would increase the stress on travelers wanting to reach New Zealand, but would provide more security for New Zealanders “at a time when virus infections appear to be accelerating abroad.” .

He said that a “very limited number” of people could be exempt, even if they had a medical certificate verifying that they had been examined within 72 hours of their departure, but could not be tested for medical reasons and showed no symptoms. of COVID-19.

Hipkins said a detailed plan was being developed with the airlines and would be “widely communicated” in time for Jan. 15.

“Enforcement will be managed by an amendment to the New Zealand Air Border Order to make arriving in New Zealand via the air border without evidence of a passed negative test a violation.

“We intend the test to also have the added benefit of encouraging extremely cautious behavior before people fly and during flights and layovers that will minimize exposure to Covid-19.”

– RNZ