The aeroplane carrying six New Zealanders who were on board the coronavirus-quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship has landed.
Two others were left behind in Japan after being diagnosed with Covid-19 shortly before they were supposed to head back to New Zealand.
The mercy flight was a joint effort with Australia, carrying their evacuees as well, and landed in Darwin earlier today on the way back from Japan.
Now the flight with just the six remaining Kiwis has touched down at Whenuapai, shortly before 8pm.
Six New Zealanders are expected to arrive this evening, but two others tested positive for the illness in Japan last night.
Those six Kiwis will now be quarantined at the Whangaparāoa military base, in north Auckland, for another 14 days.
Over the last two weeks of quarantine, 621 cases of coronavirus has been diagnosed among the 3711 passengers and crew on the Diamond Princess.
Four of those are New Zealanders, including the two diagnosed today.
SHARE ME