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A public health risk assessment will be completed in the next 24 hours to decide whether a pre-departure Covid-19 test is needed for travellers from China to enter New Zealand.
Australia is the latest country to insist travellers from mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau to take provide a negative result before being allowed to enter the country, starting January 5. Other countries, including the US, the UK, Taiwan, Japan and South Korea already have similar policies.
New Zealand scrapped pre-departure testing in June last year, but duty minister Stuart Nash said a public health assessment was under way, which would be completed in the next 24 hours.
“Our response will remain proportionate to the potential risks posed by travellers and in the context of the international situation,” he said.
READ MORE:
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Beijing recently abandoned its strict border control measures for incoming passengers, scrapping quarantine entirely from January 8 and only requiring a negative test 48 hours before travel, despite a surge of Covid-19 cases overwhelmed hospitals and funeral parlours.
It had prompted a flurry of prospective tourists to make plans to go abroad for the first time in three years.
Australia’s Health Minister Mark Butler said the new testing requirement was made out of an abundance of caution, out of the potential for new variants to emerge.
“This small but sensible move will help to protect people who are at risk of severe illness and safeguard our healthcare system,” he told the Sydney Morning Herald.
A further 32,010 new Covid-19 cases were reported across Aotearoa in the week before Christmas.
On Sunday, epidemiologist Michael Baker said he supported Australia’s move to introducing pre-departure testing.
It would help reduce transmission risk by catching those who were infected before they travelled, he said.
Those onboard were also more likely to feel comfortable knowing their fellow passengers had been tested, Baker said.
Pre-departure testing also encouraged prevention behaviours as people limited their exposure risk. The two countries working together “carried a lot more weight”, he said.
It made sense to co-ordinate with other countries as it was likely many of those travelling on to New Zealand from China would do so via Australia or Singapore.
“Overall I think that response is sensible … and New Zealand should follow suit.”
There were pros and cons about whether PCR or RAT tests were used, including cost, logistics of testing and accuracy about whether people were infected or not.
“Personally, I think there are real benefits to supervised RAT testing at the airport before departure,” Baker said.
“It will pick up people who are infectious on the flight. It’s not likely to pick up people who are not infectious, but it will miss some people incubating infections.”
At the last Ministry of Health update on December 28, a further 32,010 new Covid cases had been reported in the week before Christmas. A child under the age of 10 was among the 78 deaths with Covid reported.
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