The second wave of coronavirus in India with the country reporting over 1 lakh fresh COVID-19 infections daily. New Zealand Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern on Thursday ordered a temporary suspension on the entry of all passengers from India, including the citizens of New Zealand.
The move comes after New Zealand recorded 23 new positive coronavirus cases at its border on Thursday, of which 17 were from India.
“We are temporarily suspending entry into New Zealand for travelers from India. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, as quoted by Reuters, said in a news conference in Auckland.
The suspension will start on April 11 and until April 28, New Zealand
The suspension of Indian travelers’ entry into New Zealand will start from April 11 and will continue till April 28. During this time the government will look at risk management measures to resume travel.
The suspension will start from 1600 local time on April 11 and will be in place until April 28. During this time the government will look at risk management measures to resume travel, she said.
“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.
New Zealand has virtually eliminated the virus within its borders. It has not reported any community transmission locally for about 40 days. But it’s been reviewing its border settings as more people with infections arrive in New Zealand recently.
Meanwhile, India is witnessing a second wave of COVID-19 with country recording more than 1 lakh cases of coronavirus daily.
India has recorded over 1.15 lakh cases while 630 new fatalities were reports from across the country in a day. In wake of the spike, several restrictions including night curfews and partial lockdown have been imposed in almost 10 states and UTs.