World News | New Zealand Removes Pre-departure COVID-19 Tests for Inbound Travelers
Get latest articles and stories on World at LatestLY. Travelers to New Zealand will no longer need a COVID-19 pre-departure test from 11:59 pm, June 20, COVID-19 Response Minister Ayesha Verrall said on Thursday.
Wellington [New Zealand], June 16 (ANI/Xinhua): Travelers to New Zealand will no longer need a COVID-19 pre-departure test from 11:59 pm, June 20, COVID-19 Response Minister Ayesha Verrall said on Thursday.
"We've taken a careful and staged approach to reopening our borders to ensure we aren't overwhelmed with an influx of COVID-19 cases. Our strategy has worked and as a result, it's safe to lift pre-departure test requirements much sooner than planned," Verrall said in a statement.
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Around 90 per cent of international arrivals undertake their required testing once they are in the country, with only a 2-3 per cent positivity rate, she said, adding they don't anticipate a significant increase in border cases once the requirement is lifted.
"Factors such as the availability of and cost of getting a test are increasingly becoming a barrier for people intending to travel here, especially as other countries wind back testing availability or the requirement for a test on entry themselves," the minister said.
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While the pre-departure test requirements are being removed, a set of border surveillance measures are kept in place for detecting any possible new variants of COVID-19, she said.
In order to understand what new strains of COVID are arriving at the border, travellers will still be required to self-test on Day 0/1 and again on Day 5/6. If the result of either test is positive, they must then get a PCR test, she added. (ANI/Xinhua)
(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)