Coronavirus: Customs reopens eGates for travellers from Australia, Singapore and US
Wednesday, 5 February 2020
Travellers entering New Zealand from Australia, Singapore and the United States will no longer have to be manually processed through Customs.
On Monday, Customs announced it would close its eGates as part of its response to the coronavirus threat.
All travellers, including New Zealand citizens, permanent residents and their families, would have to be manually processed, it said.
However, on Wednesday those restrictions were lifted by the Ministry of Health for some travellers due to the 'robust screening' in those countries.
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'This means New Zealand can reduce its screening of passengers arriving on flights from these three countries,' Customs said.
The Ministry of Health advised there were no public health concerns arising from the decision.
All foreign travellers coming from or transitting through mainland China have been banned from entering New Zealand for up to two weeks.
New Zealand citizens and permanent residents, and their immediate family members, would be allowed to enter the country, but would be required to isolate themselves for 14 days.
The travel advice to New Zealanders for all of mainland China had been raised to 'do not travel' by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. This was the highest level possible.
Novel coronavirus, which is believed to have originated from a live animal market in Wuhan, China, has infected nearly 15,000 people in China and killed about 300 people.
Kiwis returning from China have been told to self-isolate for two weeks to cover the incubation period of the virus which has so far killed about 360 people, all but 12 in the Hubei region in China.
The first death outside China occurred in the Philippines.