20 August 2021
As has now been reported, on Wednesday this week Cook Islands Cabinet decided to extend our current Alert Level 2 status as well as continued suspension of inwards flight arrivals until 11.59pm Monday 23 August.
With respect to Te Marae Ora Cook Islands Ministry of Health efforts to intensify contact tracing and testing over the weekend, can confirm that Cabinet will convene prior to our current settings lapsing to consider any amendments to our current settings that may be appropriate, including the possibility for extension to these settings.
Cook Islands officials are closely engaged with New Zealand officials who are working intensively to establish the full extent of the outbreak in NZ.
Consideration to how and when Cook Islanders stranded in New Zealand might be repatriated is still in progress, and the Border Easement Taskforce has been tasked to provide recommendations to Cabinet regarding this matter next week.
It is important the public continue to check official communications on this evolving situation on the Cook Islands and New Zealand COVID websites.
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For media enquiries, contact Karla Eggelton : QFT Comms Coordinator karla.eggelton@cookislands.gov.ck