Cook Islands Cabinet will decide on Monday whether to extend or ease the current Alert Level 2, which has halted inbound passenger flights for two weeks so far.

The current Alert Level 2 is expected to end at 11.59pm tonight.

The restrictions which includes suspension on inwards travel from Auckland and travels to the Pa Enua from Rarotonga were put in place after the community outbreak of Covid-19 Delta variant in New Zealand. Yesterday 53 cases were recorded bringing the total number of active cases to 562.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern last night confirmed Auckland will stay in alert level 4 lockdown for at least two more weeks. Northland will go to level 3 at 11.59pm on Thursday (NZ time) if wastewater tests - which are due on Thursday - come back clear. The rest of the country will move to level 3 - as earlier planned - from 11.59pm tonight.

In Cook Islands, Air New Zealand flights have been flying into Rarotonga, they have not carried any inwards passengers since Monday, August 16. Meanwhile over 3000 passengers have left since 16 August.

Testing locations were operating in Rarotonga and Aitutaki on Saturday. These testing locations were also administering influenza vaccinations.

Over the last 13 days, 2840 swabs from Rarotonga and Aitutaki have been processed at Rarotonga Hospital, all have returned negative results.

Today, drive-through testing and flu vaccination locations will be operating at Constitution Park and at Tupapa Public Health from 9am and 3pm.