Covid-19 coronavirus: Govt to spend $14 million to get New Zealanders stranded overseas home

The government estimates it could cost up to $14 million to get New Zealanders stranded overseas home.

Just-released documents show the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has drawn up a list of high, moderate and low risk countries, to prioritise any repatriation flights.

It expects there could be demand from several thousand New Zealanders stuck around the world for mercy flights.

The full list of countries has been withheld, but those in low-risk countries will not get priority.

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There are more than 3000 New Zealanders in high-risk countries.

So far, more than $2 million has been spent to help 300 New Zealanders get home from countries including Peru, China and South Korea.

The revelation is one of many contained in thousands of documents of official advice that has just been dumped by the Government.

The documents, about the national Covid-19 response, have been broken down into "alert Levels and restrictions", "border", "education", "health response", "housing", "income support measures", "offshore issues", "supporting the economy" and "wage subsidy and leave schemes".

The documents reveal top-level advice received by Ministers, draft policy plans and hundreds of reports spanning a period since early February.