Sunday, 03 December 2023
KaitaiaWhangareiDargavilleAucklandThamesTaurangaHamiltonWhakataneRotoruaTokoroaTe KuitiTaumarunuiTaupoGisborneNew PlymouthNapierHastingsDannevirkeWhanganuiPalmerston NorthLevinParaparaumuMastertonWellingtonMotuekaNelsonBlenheimWestportReeftonKaikouraGreymouthHokitikaChristchurchAshburtonTimaruWanakaOamaruQueenstownDunedinGoreInvercargill
NZ HeraldThe Northern AdvocateThe Northland AgeThe AucklanderWaikato HeraldBay Of Plenty TimesRotorua Daily PostHawke's Bay TodayWhanganui ChronicleThe Stratford PressManawatu GuardianKapiti NewsHorowhenua ChronicleTe Awamutu CourierVivaEat WellOneRoofDRIVEN Car GuideThe CountryPhoto SalesiHeart RadioRestaurant Hub
Voyager 2023 media awards
Subscribe

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.
Home / New Zealand

Covid 19 Omicron outbreak: Cook Islands reports fourth case

Ben Leahy
By
Ben Leahy
18 Feb, 2022 07:43 PM3 mins to read
Saveshare

Share this article

facebookcopy linktwitterlinkedinredditemail
Rarotonga is the only overseas destination Kiwis can currently travel to and from quarantine-free. Photo / NZME

Rarotonga is the only overseas destination Kiwis can currently travel to and from quarantine-free. Photo / NZME

A fourth person has tested positive to Covid in the Cook Islands, currently the only location to have quarantine-free travel arrangements with New Zealand.

The latest positive case flew in from New Zealand on Air NZ flight NZ946 on Tuesday.

A sibling earlier phoned them from New Zealand, saying they had tested positive to Covid after being at the same family dinner as the new positive case in the Cook Islands, Prime Minister Mark Brown said.

The Cook Islands opened for quarantine-free travel last month just days before New Zealand's latest Omicron outbreak began.

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.

Travellers must have received their second vaccination at least 14 days before departure and have evidence of a negative Covid-19 test before departure to be eligible for quarantine-free travel.

Despite the restrictions, the first positive Omicron case was detected in the country four days ago.

The Cook Islands Ministry of Health said the fourth person tested positive on Thursday after travelling to Aitutaki, an island in the country's north.

The person is in isolation and will isolate for at least the next 10 days.

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.

Twenty-two other contacts took PCR tests but all returned negative results, the ministry said.

The Cook Islands has a double-dosed vaccination rate of 96 per cent of the eligible population, and 70 per cent have also had a booster shot.

Brown earlier said contact tracing teams had been working to control the outbreak.

"First and foremost, our incredibly high vaccination rate – one of the best in the world – is protecting all of us right now by slowing down the transmission of this virus from person to person and in many cases halting it completely," he said.

Related articles

Travel

Avoid the hearsay with up-to-date Covid-19 travel advice

20 Feb 05:30 AM
World

Global cases are dropping, but the WHO is watching an Omicron subvariant

17 Feb 11:32 PM
World

Covid 19 Omicron outbreak: WA's change to restrictions

18 Feb 06:04 AM
World

Canadian police arresting protesters, towing vehicles in bid to break siege

18 Feb 08:00 PM

"Furthermore, for those vaccinated people who do contract Covid-19, it has been proven that the health impacts are reduced significantly.

"So, we can all rest a lot easier knowing that 96 per cent of our eligible population 12 years and older have been fully vaccinated and 99 per cent partially vaccinated – an outstanding achievement for our entire nation."

Brown said the country's health and safety protocols were doing their job and he was "extremely pleased" with the work government and non-government groups were putting in to restrict the spread of the virus.

The Cook Islands last month elected to continue with quarantine-free travel with New Zealand after Omicron was detected here.

Saveshare

Share this article

facebookcopy linktwitterlinkedinredditemail

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.

Latest from New Zealand

New Zealand

More hospitals and religious sites sent ‘concerning’ emails, police say

02 Dec 09:39 PM
New Zealand

Man in hospital after falling into Napier harbour intoxicated

02 Dec 09:32 PM
Premium
New Zealand

Paula Bennett: My 'wild side' and the time Paddy Gower saved me from going viral

02 Dec 09:00 PM
New Zealand

Slip closes SH2 between Napier and Wairoa for second time in a week

02 Dec 08:34 PM

Top toys of 2023 for kids & ‘kidults’

sponsored

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.

Latest from New Zealand

More hospitals and religious sites sent ‘concerning’ emails, police say

More hospitals and religious sites sent ‘concerning’ emails, police say

02 Dec 09:39 PM

Anyone who received concerning emails was encouraged to report them to police.

Man in hospital after falling into Napier harbour intoxicated

Man in hospital after falling into Napier harbour intoxicated

02 Dec 09:32 PM
Premium
Paula Bennett: My 'wild side' and the time Paddy Gower saved me from going viral

Paula Bennett: My 'wild side' and the time Paddy Gower saved me from going viral

02 Dec 09:00 PM
Slip closes SH2 between Napier and Wairoa for second time in a week

Slip closes SH2 between Napier and Wairoa for second time in a week

02 Dec 08:34 PM
Toy trends for Christmas
sponsored

Toy trends for Christmas

About NZMEHelp & SupportContact UsSubscribe to NZ HeraldHouse Rules
Manage Your Print SubscriptionNZ Herald E-EditionAdvertise with NZMEBook Your AdPrivacy Policy
Terms of UseCompetition Terms & ConditionsSubscriptions Terms & Conditions
© Copyright 2023 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP