Just as closing the border on March 25 contributed significantly to the Cook Islands achieving COVID-19 free status, reversing that and easing border restrictions requires a cautious and careful approach to minimise the risk of importing COVID-19
Cook Islands border restrictions are lifting, initially to Cook Islands residents and work permit holders
After months of lockdown and quarantine, the Cook Islands Government repatriation of stranded Cook Islanders can be deemed a resounding success.
While our country is currently one
of the very few in the world that is
currently COVID-19 free…we can’t
afford to drop our guard now, or into the future, otherwise all that good work will come tumbling down
Rarotonga Hospital is now equipped with a vital piece of medical infrastructure that can be used to treat critically ill COVID-19 patients as well as a host of other potentially fatal infectious illnesses.
The first cohort of returning Cook Islands residents arrives this afternoon. Prime Minister Henry Puna noted “It is a triumph of our people’s strength, government policy, and coordinated efforts with our international partners that allows our people to come home.
On Friday 8 May, our first cohort of Cook Islanders stranded in New Zealand following the border measures implemented in March will arrive in Rarotonga. They would have completed their first 14-day supervised quarantine and medical clearance process in Auckland at the Holiday Inn and been provided negative COVID-19 tests.
This guide outlines the process for ensuring persons travelling to the Pa Enua are screened to prevent, limit and mitigate the spread of infectious diseases to the Pa Enua.
