The Ministry of Health has "no plans" to introduce pre-departure tests for people coming from Fiji, even as COVID-19 cases continue to skyrocket.
In the last 24 hours, Fiji recorded 918 new COVID-19 cases and 15 deaths. Its rolling day average is close to 1500 cases per day. But despite this serious outbreak, the Ministry of Health says it will continue to allow people to enter New Zealand without first testing negative.
A spokesperson for the Ministry told Newshub New Zealand does not want to put further pressure on Fiji's health response by asking for a pre-departure test.
"The current COVID-19 outbreak in Fiji is increasingly challenging and is placing significant pressure on the country’s health system."
Fiji is not part of the travel bubble, so any arrivals must quarantine for 14 days in a managed isolation facility.
They are tested on days zero/one, three and again on day 12.
"At this stage, there are no plans to introduce pre-departure testing for people travelling to New Zealand from Fiji."
Pre-departure tests are required for almost all arrivals into New Zealand to curb the spread of infection.
The exempt countries include the Cook Islands, New Caledonia., Norfolk Island and Antarctica.
A full list is available here.
https://covid19.govt.nz/travel/pre-departure-tests-to-enter-new-zealand/#exemptions-for-pre-departure-tests
