The Cook Islands has temporarily shut its air border for any incoming travellers. The order came into effect on 13 August at midnight.

In the Friday late night announcement, the office of the prime minister said this comes after concern over the re-emergence of Covid-19 in the Auckland community.

A review of the order is expected on 17 August, ahead of the next flight from Auckland to Rarotonga, scheduled to arrive in Rarotonga on 21 August.

Late last night, Air New Zealand had also announced it would not be allowing any passengers on the Auckland to Rarotonga flight arriving 14 August.

Earlier, the Cook Islands Ministry of Health, Te Marae Ora, had said it understood 41 passengers had booked on the returning flight.

They would have been required to undertake a Covid-19 before leaving New Zealand, and another test after arriving on their sixth day. In addition, they also would have had to undergo supervised quarantine in their homes for 14 days.

"The service will still operate outbound to Rarotonga carrying cargo, and the return service will carry customers into Auckland," the airline said in a statement.

These passengers include a number of medical referrals and their partners.

Meanwhile, in Auckland a new pop-up Covid 19 community testing centre is opening in Rosedale to help ease the demand and Spark has lifted broadband data caps to support people in the city as they re-enter lockdown.

In the South Island, the University of Otago has cancelled a public graduation ceremony planned for today, because the southern region is under alert level 2.

Affected graduands will now graduate in absentia.