Quarantine free travel from the Cook Islands to New Zealand

Prime Minister Hon Mark Brown today welcomed New Zealand’s commitment to the removal of mandatory quarantine for Cook Islands arrivals into New Zealand from 20 January 2021 (Cook Islands’ time). This announcement follows a joint release earlier this morning with New Zealand Prime Minister Rt. Hon Jacinda Ardern. Since July 2020, both Governments have been working hard towards resumption of one-way quarantine-free travel for Cook Islands residents to New Zealand, in advance of two-way quarantine-free travel (to include New Zealand visitors to the Cook Islands) to commence this first quarter of 2021.

Prime Minister Brown stated “I want to reassure our Cook Islands people that maintaining our COVID-19 free status continues to be paramount. Both countries are carefully managing our travel processes and making significant changes to ensure safe travel processes are in place to protect our people. Read full release here.

Cook Islands Emergency Response Plan

On 16 April 2020, the Cook Islands was declared a COVID-19 free zone signaling the shift of COVID-19 from a public health emergency to a public health threat – code YELLOW. The disease continues to surge in many countries worldwide. Even though the virus has not presented itself, the Cook Islands government has been forthright about the need for physical distancing and other measures to prevent transmission. The Emergency Response Plan provides a national response framework for the Cook Islands to guide our response to the COVID-19 pandemic.