Port quarantine rules tightened

Quarantine controls for ships entering New Zealand ports have been tightened to ensure international guidelines are met.

Border health protection senior adviser John Gardiner said old regulations were concerned with cholera, plague and yellow fever but the new regulations had fresher targets.

"The new ones cover emerging threats like Sars, pandemic influenza, drug-resistant tuberculosis, ionising radiation and chemical contamination," he said.

The new rules require health officials to inspect and certify international vessels to ensure they are not risks to public health. They are in line with World Health Organisation international controls.

- NZPA