Kesh Gilmour and husband Nigel Sercombe masked up in Rarotonga. Photo / Supplied
Kesh Gilmour and husband Nigel Sercombe masked up in Rarotonga. Photo / Supplied
A Wellington couple on holiday in Rarotonga were locked down for 24 hours and told not to leave their room until they had received a negative Covid-19 test result.
Kesh Gilmour and her husband Nigel Sercombe traveled to the South Pacific island paradise last Sunday, before the latest lockdown, for a seven-night holiday at the Crown Beach and Spa Resort.
On Wednesday they were told to isolate in their hotel room for 24 hours after New Zealand's move to a lockdown on Tuesday at 11.59 pm.
Beachfront at Crown Beach and Spa Resort, Rarotonga. Photo / Supplied
The Cooks Islands moved to alert level 2 at midnight Wednesday (NZ time).
"We got a note where we are staying to say you cannot leave your room until further notice," Gilmour said.
"We were like, what the hell?
"Everyone back home thinks we are in paradise living the dream, but for 24 hours no one was allowed to go anywhere or leave their room.
"Initially we got told 'you've got 48 hours to get home'. Everyone here was panicking, they changed their flights to try to get back and then found out later they didn't have to get back early.
"There are a lot of rooms now that are empty that should be full."
An hour later, a second note appeared under their door that told them to get a Covid test and they "weren't allowed to leave the room until the all-clear".
Covid testing station in Rarotonga. Photo / Supplied
The Covid centre was a five-minute walk down the road.
"It was amazing, so slick," Gilmore said.
"There were six staff swabbing one after the other. They were so efficient."
The tests took 24 hours to come back negative.
"Only in the last hour have we been told we are allowed to go out of the resort."
According to Gilmour, more than 1000 people were tested yesterday across four sites and today they have only tested those with any symptoms.
Kesh Gilmour and her husband Nigel Sercombe holidaying in Rarotonga. Photo / Supplied
Despite the setback, the couple plan to get around the island and go whale watching.
"There are few humpbacks that have breached one after the other - they are literally just off the reef."
Gilmore says not everything is open and " we had friends due in today but that is not happening".
In the meantime, Gilmore has spent hours on her phone to Air NZ after their return flight home on Monday was cancelled.
This afternoon new flights were confirmed, leaving Rarotonga a day later than planned, giving them an extra day in paradise - before returning to another lockdown when they get home.
Chief Customer and Sales officer Leanne Geraghty for Air New Zealand said that the airline was continuing to fly passengers to Auckland from Rarotonga.
However, the connecting domestic schedule was greatly reduced for passengers travelling on from Auckland.
"The New Zealand Government have made an exemption for customers returning from the Cook Islands to allow them to travel on the limited schedule we will have running."
