An error in the date and time printed on passengers' pre-departure COVID-19 test results saw a number of travellers turned away from their Air New Zealand flight to Rarotonga on Friday morning.
Newshub understands the results had 12am rather than 12pm printed on them, meaning they appeared to be from tests taken outside the required 48-hour pre-departure window.
"Unfortunately some customers this morning bound for Rarotonga had an incorrect time stamp on their pre-departure test results, required by the Cook Islands Government. Some customers were able to get the timestamp rectified with the test provider and were able to travel today," a spokesperson for Air New Zealand said.
Air New Zealand is not involved in the process of pre-departure tests apart from checking certificates before boarding.
Those who weren't able to get the time stamp corrected will be accommodated on tomorrow's flight, provided they have the valid negative test result.
Numerous companies and services offer pre-departure tests, it is not yet known where these test samples had been taken.
