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Some parts of New Zealand will be placed under stricter Covid-19 restrictions overnight, after three cases were discovered outside of the Auckland area.
The country reported 33 cases on Sunday, 32 of which are in Auckland while one is in the Waikato region.
Three cases had been detected outside of Auckland over the weekend, including two in the nearby Waikato region, prime minister Jacinda Ardern said.
Areas within that region will move to stricter restrictions for at least five days.
Ardern urged New Zealanders to get vaccinated as soon as possible.
“Vaccination makes a difference. It keeps people safe. It also gives us choices,” she said, adding it would be “highly unlikely” that restrictions would have been announced if the country’s vaccination rate was higher.
“Instead, we would be able to rely on other tools, like contact tracing, and much lower level public health measures. But while we are still vaccinating, we have fewer choices in how we react.”
About 78% of NZ’s eligible population has received their first vaccine dose, with 46% fully vaccinated.
Earlier on Sunday, the government announced that all non-New Zealand citizens arriving into the country from 1 November must be fully vaccinated against Covid-19.
“Getting vaccinated is the most effective measure against the transmission of Covid-19, and the risk of serious illness or death,” Covid-19 response minister Chris Hipkins said.
“To further reduce the possibility of the virus getting through our border, we are introducing the requirement for air travellers aged 17 and over, who are not New Zealand citizens, to be fully vaccinated to enter New Zealand.
“This is an important step in our Reconnecting New Zealand strategy.”
Travellers will be required to declare their vaccination status, as well as presenting proof of vaccination or a relevant exemption to their airline and to customs officers once they land, and will still be required to complete 14 days in managed isolation and quarantine.
Travellers except those from exempt locations will still need to have evidence of a negative test result within 72 hours of their first scheduled international flight.
The requirement will not apply to New Zealand citizens, children under 17, and those who are unable to be vaccinated for medical reasons.