New Zealand suspends travel from India amid rise in Covid-19 cases

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Thursday announced that New Zealand will temporarily suspend the entry for all travellers, including its citizens, from India for about two weeks from April 11 due to a surge in Covid-19 cases among visitors to this country.

The ban will begin on Sunday and will remain in place until April 28, she said. While arrivals from India had triggered the risk assessment, Prime Minister Ardern said the Government would be looking at risks posed by other Covid-19 hotspot countries, the New Zealand Herald reported.

"This is not a permanent arrangement but rather a temporary measure," Ardern said, adding that the temporary hold would also help reduce the risk that travellers themselves faced.

The ban covers all travellers, including New Zealand citizens and permanent residents.

Health teams would use the time until April 28 to try and plan safer ways to accept travellers from India.

But there were no guarantees officials would come up with a better solution, she said.

"We haven't identified anything obvious ... but we have to try and do better," Ardern said.

Covid-19 cases were spiking again, particularly in India and Brazil, and New Zealand was not immune, Ardern said.

The government had been reviewing its border settings in recent weeks, Ardern said, adding that ultimately New Zealand wanted to see fewer cases arriving in the country.