All passengers to New Zealand will now have to have a negative test result for Covid-19 before departure - except if they are flying from Australia, Antarctica and most Pacific Islands.
The new rule will apply to all flights arriving in New Zealand from midnight Monday, 25 January, Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said today.
The minister signalled this change last week. Previously, only passengers on flights from the UK and USA were required to show they had tested negative for Covid in the 72 hours before their departure.
The new measure adds to the requirement that all passengers to NZ - except from Australia, Antarctica and the Pacific Islands - undergo Day 0/1 testing on arrival, which has been progressively introduced at MIQ facilities over a three day period since Monday.
All travellers are still required to complete 14 days mandatory isolation, including routine Day 3 and Day 12 tests.
Hipkins said the measures were a response to the high rates of infection in many countries.
The exempt countries and territories are Antarctica, Australia, the Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Caledonia, Niue, Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, and Wallis and Futuna.