Travellers arrive back in New Zealand before coronavirus restrictions come into force

March 16, 2020

One man told Breakfast he struggled to book a flight to come home.

Almost all travellers into New Zealand now need to undergo a 14-day self-isolation period after arrival, with some people racing to get back before the rules came into force.

The new rules were announced on Saturday and kicked in at 1am this morning.

It's an attempt to contain the coronavirus outbreak as Covid-19 continues to spread around the world.

A healthcare worker is among the people who just managed to scrape in last night.

"It was important for us to get home from a professional point of view, so that my skill set could be utilised if things were to become worse here in terms of the requirements of the healthcare system," she told TVNZ 1's Breakfast when she arrived at Auckland Airport.

Adding to the pressure of the deadline , airlines were swamped with the sudden demand.

The rise came the day after stringent travel restrictions were put in place by the Government.

One man was in Australia and struggled to book a flight home.

"I tried to get a flight yesterday and it all booked out really quickly," he says.

As well as the new quarantine restrictions, E-Gates were closed at 3am today, meaning passports need to be manually checked by a Customs officer.

More than 10,000 people were in isolation yesterday, with that number now expected to skyrocket.

There are eight confirmed cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand.

SHARE ME

More Stories