WELLINGTON (AFP) - New Zealand s fledgling quarantine-free travel arrangement with Western Australia faced disruption for the second time in eight days on Saturday (May 1) following fresh community cases of Covid-19 in Perth.
A worker at a managed isolation facility in the city and two people he shares accommodation with have tested positive, the authorities said.
Western Australia Premier Mark McGowan said the state would not go into lockdown at this point .
But New Zealand health ministry officials said they had conducted a rapid assessment and had determined scheduled direct flights from Western Australia to New Zealand should be immediately paused while a further assessment is carried out .
Flights from Western Australia to NZ should be immediately paused after Perth Covid-19 cases
(Photo / NZ Herald) Sat, 1 May 2021, 10:54PM
The Ministry of Health has said tonight all direct flights from Western Australia to New Zealand should be immediately paused after a worker at a Perth managed isolation facility tested positive for Covid-19.
A MOH release tonight just after 10pm tonight announcing officials had conducted a rapid public health assessment for New Zealand and decided the flights from Western Australia to New Zealand should be paused while further health assessments are carried out.
The call comes after a security guard working in hotel quarantine in Perth has tested positive today to Covid-19, with two of seven people sharing the man s house also returning positive results.