Covid 19 coronavirus: Cook Islands flight canned after New Zealand alert-level change

An upcoming flight to the Cook Islands has been cancelled. Photo / File

New Zealanders have been barred from entering the Cook Islands for 72 hours with a flight to the destination cancelled.

It comes as Aucklanders are sent back in level 3 restrictions for a full week and the rest of New Zealand to level 2 after the emergence of new Covid-19 cases in the community.

The Cook Islands Cabinet met today and considered the advice and recommendations from officials regarding New Zealand's alert level changes, officials said in a statement.

"Based on the advice they received, Cabinet has decided not to allow the passengers booked on the next flight arriving on the afternoon of Tuesday 2nd March 2021 afternoon (CKT) to enter the Cook Islands.

The flight was scheduled to depart Auckland Airport at 9.05am March 3.

"Cabinet agreed to reinstate the temporary closure of the Cook Islands air border for a period of 72 hours effective midnight tonight."

The nation's cabinet will meet again on Monday to review the situation and will confirm whether or not to allow passengers on Friday's flight, it said.

"Cabinet made its decision based on up to the minute advice it received, which included information from the NZ Ministry of Health," Prime Minister Mark Brown said in the statement.

He also shared his appreciation for New Zealand Prime Minister Ardern and her officials for the "heads up" just prior to the late-night press conference in the Beehive last night.

"I also want to thank our local community for adhering to the advice of Te Marae Ora and Cook Islands Police and doing their part to keep our communities safe," Brown said.

Immigration Cook Islands will contact affected travellers directly and in the interim passengers are encouraged to change their flight arrangements.