New Zealand reveals travel restrictions to combat coronavirus

Sanka VIDANAGAMA / AFP

New Zealand has announced 14-day quarantine restrictions for everyone entering the country in an attempt to combat the spread of coronavirus.

Making the announcement, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the measures, which will apply to all countries except for Pacific nations, will come into play midnight Sunday. 

So far, the country has recorded six confirmed cases, but the leader added these were "far-reaching and unprecedented" measures to tackle a global pandemic.

"That is why ultimately, we must go hard and we must go early. We must do everything we can to protect the health of New Zealanders," she told reporters.

The restrictions will be reviewed at the end of March, with Ardern encouraging all citizens to reconsider overseas travels.

More from International News

  • Iranian President Raisi killed in helicopter accident, state media says

    Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, seen as a potential successor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in a helicopter crash in mountainous terrain near the Azerbaijan border, officials and state media said on Monday.

  • Israel intends to broaden Rafah sweep, Defence Minister tells US

    Israel intends to broaden its military operation in Rafah, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant on Monday told a senior aide to US President Joe Biden, who has warned against major action in the southern Gazan city that may risk mass civilian casualties. Israel describes Rafah, which abuts the Gaza Strip's border with the Egyptian Sinai, as the last stronghold of Hamas Islamists whose governing and combat capabilities it has been trying to dismantle during the more than seven-month-old war. After weeks of public disagreements with Washington over the Rafah planning, Israel on May 6 ordered Pale

  • New Taiwanese president calls on China to stop threats

    Taiwan President Lai Ching-te asked China on Monday to stop its military and political threats, saying in his inauguration speech that peace is the only choice and that Beijing had to respect the choice of the Taiwanese people.

  • India votes in fifth phase of elections

    Millions of Indians across 49 constituencies are casting ballots on Monday as the country’s six-week-long election enters its final stages.