Cook Islands

A group of Cook Islands Olympic team members expect to remain in New Zealand until Auckland's Covid alert level status is relaxed. 13 athletes and officials spent two weeks in an MIQ facility in Christchurch after flying back from Tokyo Games. The nine based in Rarotonga had been scheduled to fly straight home but by the time they were released New Zealand had gone into lockdown, after the Delta variant was discovered in the community.

By Cook Islands News The Cook Islands Prime Minister says the travel bubble with New Zealand has been suspended after New Zealand officials reported new Covid-19 community cases.

Two Cook Islands football teams achieved a major milestone during a week-long tour of Aotearoa last month. The Under 15 boy's and Under 16 girl's teams each played four games across the Auckland region, ending a 16 month stretch without international football matches in Oceania because of the global pandemic.

A Cook Islands man who has been on holiday in Rarotonga since May 21, 2021 has tested positive for Covid-19, after requesting to be swabbed Friday evening. The alert level remains unchanged and the risk to public remains low, the government said. The man who arrived in Auckland from Egypt on May 5, 2021, and tested positive on his Day 0 test when in managed isolation (MIQ) in Auckland, according to a statement issued by Te Marae Ora Ministry of Health.

After more than a year, New Zealanders are finally able to travel to the Cook Islands without having to quarantine. The first flight to Rarotonga is set to take off from Auckland Airport at about 8.45am this morning. There will be daily flights between the two countries after that. Air New Zealand chief customer and sales officer Leanne Geraghty told First Up the crew are very excited about today's flight.

Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown has announced this week that the Covid-19 vaccination roll-out will commence from next Tuesday. Brown said with the support from New Zealand, they had managed to receive sufficient Pfizer vaccine to provide full coverage for the population. All residents in the Cook Islands over the age of 16 years are eligible for vaccination.

The Cook Islands bubble will open later this month, allowing two-way quarantine-free travel between both countries, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced. Cabinet ministers have this afternoon signed off on a 17 May start date, pending final confirmation by New Zealand's Director-General of Health and the Cook Islands Secretary of Health. It will be subject to final checks such as airline and airport preparedness.

The former Cook Islands Prime Minister, Henry Puna is the new Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum after a marathon online meeting. Puna was voted in over Micronesia's candidate Marshall Islands Ambassador to the US, Gerald Zackious by nine to eight. The outgoing secretary-general, Papua New Guinea's Dame Meg-Taylor had been in the role for over six years. Regional divisions over who should replace her emerged last year.

Dozens of international passengers who arrived in Rarotonga over the weekend have tested negative for covid-19, and have been released from supervised quarantine. The group of 54 were passengers onboard the first Air New Zealand flight from Auckland to Rarotonga since the announcement of new community cases of Covid-19 in Northland and north of Auckland.

Passengers from the Cook Islands will resume quarantine-free travel into New Zealand from next week, the two governments have confirmed. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown have announced the change, which will start from 21 January.