Can Pre Flight COVID tests mean no quarantine is needed?.
18 fishermen arrived in New Zealand from Russia and Ukraine, each having tested negative for COVID-19 up to three days prior to boarding their aircraft.
But, from new tests carried out during quarantine, their new results were positive for COVID-19.
New Zealands Director-General of Health, Dr Ashley Bloomfield, stated that New Zealand authorities have little means to verify the validity of tests conducted overseas, including how the test was conducted or the sample handled.
This leads to these questions:
- Was the original overseas test taken correctly, were they actually postive at the time?
- Did they contract the virus after taking the test, but before flying?
- Did they contract the virus on the flight?
- Did they contract the virus while in quarantine in New Zealand?
No matter what the answers; it was only quarantine that stopped the virus from entering the New Zealand population, and saving the country from something similar to Victoria in Australia.