Covid-19 coronavirus: Heart Foundation changes prizes in wake of travel bans

Heart Foundation is giving the winner of a holiday to Argentina the chance to travel there until 2022 or swap it for domestic travel vouchers while overseas travel uncertain. Photo / Heart Foundation

Winners of the Heart Foundation's fundraisers featuring long haul flights to exotic destinations including South America may have to settle for a holiday much closer to home.

With countries around the globe shutting their borders and uncertainty about when the travel bans maybe lifted the charity has been forced to make changes to its lottery prizes.

Instead of a dream overseas trips valued at more than $5000, winners can now choose domestic travel vouchers valued at the same amount.

The latest competition offers a second prize trip to Bueno Aires for six nights valued at $5400 and the third prize is a four night trip to Noosa - but these can now be swapped for travel vouchers in God's own.

The winner of the Heart Foundation's dream holiday prize may have to travel to somewhere closer to home due to Covid-19 travel restrictions. Photo / Heart Foundation

The expiry dates on the prizes have been extended so those still hoping to go abroad now have until May 2022 to use them.

The winners of the previous lottery were drawn just prior to the country going into lockdown and a Heart Foundation spokesperson said those who had won overseas trips to Vietnam and Australia could either extend the travel date or swap them for travel within New Zealand.

The charity heavily relied on the lotteries for funds and the extension of the latest draw meant it would be only running five instead of its usual six lotteries this year.

"Our lottery programme is important to help us fund life-saving research and support the 180,000 New Zealanders living with heart disease," the spokesperson said.

The first prize - a Jennian dream home valued at $755,000 at Scenic Point in Northland - remains unchanged except the draw date has been extended in accordance with advice from the Department of Internal Affairs that lottery purchases can not be processed under level four and closing and draw dates number be extended. The prize will now be drawn in June.

The Government said this week that domestic flights are not allowed under alert level four or three so winners will have to wait until the country drops to lower alert levels before thinking of hopping on a plane.

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Covid19.govt.nz: The Government's official Covid-19 advisory website