Prime Minister Mark Brown has directed officials to prepare a mask wearing strategy for Cabinet to consider in the near future as part of the nation's Covid-19 preparedness.

This comes after New Zealand introduced mandatory mask wearing on all public transport to, from and through Auckland and all domestic flights throughout the country.

PM Brown said New Zealand was being very proactive in adding another layer of precaution and protection in the community.

He said this approach also provided an extra layer of protection for Cook Islands people living in New Zealand.

“As we all know, a face covering helps to stop the spreading of droplets when people speak, laugh, cough, sing or sneeze. Wearing masks saves lives, that’s the reality. I have asked my officials to prepare a mask wearing strategy for Cabinet to consider in the near future,” Brown said in a statement.

New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern this week revealed that her government is looking into extending the public transport mask-mandate to the entire country.

But there is, as yet, no timeline and Ardern said officials will be keeping a close eye on the uptake of the new rules in Auckland.

The mandatory mask usage will be included in the level 1 alert level settings in NZ. The rules can be enforced by police, according to NZ’s Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins, but the focus would be on education.

PM Mark Brown said: “We are very fortunate to have New Zealand as a buffer and supporter. New Zealand has shown the world how to fight and contain this disease; and we have benefitted from that, because since we closed our borders in March this year, the few exemptions we have allowed into the country have had to come through New Zealand.”

“They have been limited to Cook Island families and essential workers. And they have had to pass through New Zealand’s stringent Covid-19 and health checks.

“Our precautions are in step with what New Zealand does and goes up or down in relation to their alert system. The limited travel we have allowed across our border has been driven by the risks we perceive from people coming in from there. That’s why we have gone through supervised quarantine procedures from time to time. At the moment the perceived level of risk is very low. But, that may well change, in the coming days, weeks, months.”    

• Additional reporting from NZ Herald