Venkat Raman
Auckland, February 1, 2020
There is an old requirement of the New Zealand government, not often practiced, advising all New Zealanders travelling overseas to inform the nearest Diplomatic Mission of the country (Embassy, High Commission or Consulate) of their movements. This could be done on various government-owned websites.
There are also travel advisories posted on these websites including that of the diplomatic missions of any precautions that need to be taken in the wake of sudden developments.
Important resource
Safetravel.govt.nz is an important resource that provides advice all the time and it is important that all travellers overseas visit the website to be apprised of latest information concerning any country.
Those who follow these procedures can be assured of government help at times of emergency.
That is how New Zealanders who are stranded in the Wuhan region of China seriously affected by the Coronavirus are being helped.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters announced that the government has signed an agreement with Air New Zealand to charter an aircraft to assist New Zealanders leaving the epidemic-torn region in mainland China.
Passengers travelling in this aircraft would be charged a nominal amount of $500 for the trip.
The aircraft has the capacity to fly 300 passengers and hence Pacific Islanders and Australians will be taken as the next priority.
Working with Chinese authorities
Mr Peters said that the government is working with the Chinese authorities to facilitate this transfer of New Zealanders and others quickly.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs have sent emails to New Zealanders in the Hubei region (of which Wuhan is the Capital), who have registered on safetravel.govt.nz to register their interest in the chartered flight, which is subject to the approval of the Chinese government. We are pleased that we are able to offer support to our people in a challenging situation,” he said.
Mr Peters said that the government encourages New Zealanders in the Hubei region to register at safetravel.govt.nz and receive accurate and updated information. This would help in understanding the demand for the chartered flight, he said.
Complex operation
“This is a complex operation as we work through all the necessary requirements but hope to arrange the charter flight as soon as possible. Consular teams will be working with health officials to ensure that the risks of transmission of the Coronavirus to New Zealand are carefully managed throughout the evacuation process,” he said.
Mr Peters said that officials are currently developing procedures for pre-departure health screening of passengers, infection-control inflight, and isolation of all passengers arriving in New Zealand for up to two weeks.
“The government absorb most of the cost of the chartered flight but there would be a nominal fee for passengers. We thank Air New Zealand for their assistance,” he said.
