(Bloomberg) -- New Zealand will close its border to all non-residents for the first time in the nation's history, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said.
To protect New Zealanders from the coronavirus, from 11:59 p.m. New Zealand time tonight non-residents will no longer be permitted to enter the country, Ardern said at a press conference in Wellington on Thursday. New Zealand citizens and permanent residents abroad will be able to return along with their children and partners, she said.
“At no time in New Zealand's history has a power like this been used, and I recognize how extraordinary it is, but we have to make decisions in best interests of the health of those who live here,” Ardern said. “While there remains no evidence of community outbreak in New Zealand to date, there continues to be significant outbreaks in other countries, and that poses a very serious risk to the rest of the world, including to New Zealand.”
The government understands that the decision will have further impacts on New Zealand's economy, she said.
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