Flights to Rarotonga have been suspended for 72 hours, following New Zealand's community outbreak. Photo / Getty Images
Flights to Rarotonga have been suspended for 72 hours, following New Zealand's community outbreak. Photo / Getty Images
Some 3000 New Zealanders in the Cook Islands are waiting to find out how to get home.
The Cooks went into alert level 2 at midnight last night, and passenger flights have been suspended until Saturday, August 21 (NZ Time).
With inbound flights to Rarotonga on hold for three days, New Zealanders are awaiting tests and news about how to get home. Although some tourists have said it was preferable to weather out a short lockdown in the islands, recent arrivals have been told to self-isolate in hotel rooms.
Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown said it was important to act "swiftly" once they were aware of community cases in New Zealand. Onward domestic travel was also suspended in the Cook Islands.
Flights to Auckland from Avarua Rarotonga International Airport remain as scheduled, with two departures a day.
Brown said passengers would be allowed to return to New Zealand and those in Pa Enu could return to Rarotonga, where the international airport is located.
"This is a good time to remind ourselves of the need to practice good hygiene measures, and to actively tag in with Cooksafe and Cooksafe+," he said.
Rarotonga isolation: Travellers are required to remain within 100 metres of their resorts until tested. Photo / File
The advice to all travellers due to arrive over the next 72 hours is not to travel.
Cook Islanders in New Zealand are being told to shelter in place.
"All persons are denied entry into the Cook Islands unless there is an exemption provided (in writing) by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration."
Kiwis isolating in Cook Island resorts
Some holiday makers, booked to fly out over the next 72 hours, see Rarotonga as preferable to returning to New Zealand in Lockdown.
"We are booked on the flight back to AKL on Saturday and we really don't want to go back early," one holiday maker said.
However, more recent arrivals are being advised to isolate in their resorts.
"We arrived in Raro Saturday. Our resort is telling us any arrivals in the last five days must remain in our rooms," another Kiwi holiday maker at the Lagoon Breeze told the Herald.
Arrivals since August 11 are currently required to wait instructions on testing and being told to wear masks.
"On this basis we would [prefer] to go home now," they said.
There are few opportunities to leave the resort apart from to get supplies and to go to a local testing centre.
"We can walk on the beach but cannot use common facilities ie pool etc. We have to remain within a few hundred metres of the resort until tested," they told the Herald this morning.
"Our rooms are self-catering but we were told to head to the supermarket this morning as we do not have any supplies," they said. "Except alcohol!"
This is a different holiday to the one they had prepared for.
Part of the Cook Islands Bubble was the requirement of Covid-testing labs on Rarotonga for quick test and trace. However, with large queues of tourists now queuing at centres, this will be a big process for the Cook Islands' test labs.
Testing is being prioritised for visitors who have been in areas of interest in New Zealand or are symptomatic.
Queues outside testing centres in Rarotonga this morning. Photo / Supplied
"Testing started at 8am this morning and we have been told that should happen today."
Good Samaritans from a nearby church took pity on those queuing and have set up marquees and water stations. Rarotonga is a humid, 23C today.
"Resort staff are amazing," said the guest who is due to return to Auckland on Monday.
However, having already been affected by an outbound flight cancellation, it has been a far shorter holiday than planned. "Our 10-day vacation became eight, less our lockdown days," they said.
Lagoon Breeze said 23 of their 25 rooms would require Covid tests, which would take place today.
"Our staff have worked together to ensure our guests are informed and cared for as their holiday plans have been disrupted," manager Pauline Dennehy said.
Air New Zealand, the only carrier operating the Auckland-Rarotonga route is allowing customers affected by the recent alert level changes to reclaim their airfare value in credit. The airline advises passengers to do so using their website, as their customer service centres are experiencing large demand.
However, once the flights from Raro resume to Auckland, Kiwis may experience further disruption to onward flights. Air New Zealand will be operating a reduced domestic network after a 48-hour window.
This morning, Air New Zealand's CEO Greg Foran told Newstalk ZB broadcaster Mike Hosking the airline would also have to organise 800 domestic flights with 50,000 passengers over the next 48 hours.
Foran said there were 3000 New Zealanders currently in Rarotonga and the Cook Islands.
"We will continue to operate services from Rarotonga to Auckland to bring people home," a spokesperson for Air New Zealand said.
"Customers should keep an eye on the Travel Alerts page of our website for any updates."
The Cook Islands Tourism advises Kiwis that there are "no restrictions on visitors who are currently in the Cook Islands returning to New Zealand."
There is no need to self-isolate or quarantine, but visitors are reminded to follow New Zealand Covid alert levels on return.
