Covid 19 coronavirus: New rules in travellers don’t go far acceptable – epidemiologist Michael Baker

A tougher dependence on pre-departure testing for travellers to finally NZ from nearly all countries arrive into effect at 11. 59pm to do with January 25. File photo and Peter Meecham

By RNZ

Epidemiologist Michael Baker is warning pre-departure testing won’t enough to keep Covid-19 out of Replacement Zealand communities.

Some tougher requirement for pre-departure testing after nearly all countries comes into effect here at 11. 59pm on January 22. At present travellers from the UK in addition to the US need certified proof of an adverse Covid-19 test in the 72 numerous hours before departure.

Baker, a member of the Covid-19 technical deliberative group, told Morning Report complete strategy was excellent but unit’s controls need to be increased because the risk ever had risen, with more of the virus currently the very infectious variants.

“We need to do everything we can to show that tap down over the adjacent few months until we get widespread pro vaccination overseas and hopefully way too in New Zealand. ”

A single pre-departure test a few days before travel is not entirely strong, and people can be incubating an infection even while they get the test or become infected afterwards, Baker said.

“One of the options can be making people stay or self-quarantine at a hotel at the airport and has an additional rapid test before they get through the flight. ”

Professor Michael Baker. Photo / Supplied

As a last resort, Absolutely new Zealand could look at suspending commuting from hotspot countries which are and never pursuing elimination of the virus unless a vaccine is widely available, Baker said, but it was better to consider extra measures for travellers.

Director general of physical Ashley Bloomfield told the regimen earlier that pre-departure tests are already just one part of the prevention measures.

“The core part of a border measures remains that a fortnight in managed isolation and the inspecting that happens there, ” Bloomfield identified.

“What’s changed is without a doubt we’ve seen these ongoing great rates of infections in a number of countries from where New Zealanders become returning… and that includes in particular the UK as the USA, and secondly we’ve the teeth the appearance of these more transmissible types.

“And the third now, we have ourselves found [in] our studies evidence of in-flight transmission. ”

Pre-departure testing was easier to put in place who virtually all countries have that prerequisite, he said. “The fact that ones airlines are doing that for just about individual country makes it much easier to implement internet site there’s real value in adding that to our portfolio. ”

He said measures inside of it managed isolation and quarantine sites were constantly being reviewed to check if there was anything needed to strengthen infection control.