A member of the general public is believed to have tipped off police to a person who travelled from alert stage 3 lockdown in Northland to Queenstown through Wellington with out an appropriate travel exemption.

Police have confirmed the person flew from Whangārei to Wellington on a business flight on Saturday, police mentioned.

He stayed in a single day at a lodge close to Wellington Airport on Saturday evening earlier than flying to Queenstown on Sunday morning.

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Police say the man is now self-isolating in Queenstown after leaving Whangārei’s level 3 lockdown.

Iain McGregor/Stuff

Police say the person is now self-isolating in Queenstown after leaving Whangārei’s stage 3 lockdown.

The person was travelling for employment however didn’t have the required documentation to depart Whangārei below Covid-19 alert level 3, they mentioned.

A Ministry of Well being spokesman mentioned the person returned a unfavourable Covid-19 take a look at on Monday, however wouldn’t touch upon his vaccination standing.

The ministry could be taking no additional motion and the matter would stay with police, the spokesman mentioned.

Queenstown Lakes Mayor Jim Boult mentioned he understood a member of the general public had alerted police to the person’s presence.

The person’s actions had been inexcusable, and put the neighborhood and the struggling native financial system in danger, he mentioned.

The person could be inspired to depart the district, he mentioned.

Boult was additionally involved that somebody was in a position to get on a business flight with out an exemption.

There was a excessive chance Covid-19 would come to the South Island at a while, so he inspired everybody to get vaccinated.

“I’m calling for 95 per cent of this neighborhood to be vaccinated forthwith,” he mentioned.

Police are working to grasp how he was permitted to fly with out the suitable documentation.

Queenstown Lakes District Mayor Jim Boult said the man’s actions were inexcusable.

Kavinda Herath/Stuff

Queenstown Lakes District Mayor Jim Boult mentioned the person’s actions had been inexcusable.

Information of the person travelling with out the proper documentation comes amid a raft of calls for a hard border between the South and North Islands.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern conceded that the scenario meant a necessity for tighter checks at airports within the occasion of future regional lockdowns.

“In contrast to Auckland and others the place you might have the AvSec (Aviation Safety) employees, not all our regional airports have that traditional staffing that may shortly change up their strategy with a purpose to be certain that we’re doing that documentation examine.

“I don’t essentially have the total image as as to whether that contributed to the problem right here.”

Ardern mentioned that whereas before everything “we ask folks to truly observe the foundations, and daily persons are doing that with out having to be stopped, requested and checked”, there would should be stricter checks.

“However sure, one of many issues we might want to guarantee sooner or later if we’re utilizing for any purpose localised lockdowns, is simply as a part of our checks to make sure that we’re enterprise a few of that at every airport.”



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