New Zealand Suspends Entry Of Travellers From India Amid Covid Surge

New Zealand on Thursday temporarily suspended entry for all travellers from India. They have also suspended the entry of their own citizens coming from India. The curb is for two weeks following a high number of positive coronavirus cases arriving from the South Asian country.

The decision to suspend the entry of travellers from India comes after New Zealand recorded 23 new positive coronavirus cases. Out of the 23 new positive cases 17 of which were from India.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said in a news conference in Auckland, “We are temporarily suspending entry into New Zealand for travellers from India. I want to emphasize that while arrivals of COVID from India has prompted this measure, we are looking at how we manage high-risk points of departure generally. This is not a country-specific risk assessment.”

Ardern said the rolling average of positive cases has been steadily rising and hit 7 cases on Wednesday, the highest since last October.

The suspension will start from 1600 local time on April 11. It will be until April 28. During this time the government will look at risk management measures to resume travel.

New Zealand has virtually eliminated the virus within its borders and has not reported any community transmission locally for about 40 days. But more people with infections arrived in New Zealand recently, the majority being from India.

Ardern said the rolling average of positive cases has been steadily rising and hit 7 cases on Wednesday, the highest since last October.

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