NZ PM Ardern: Will extend cruise ship ban beyond June 30

With the number of new coronavirus cases rising in New Zealand (NZ) over the past week, Prime Minister (PM) Jacinda Ardern announced on Monday, the cruise ship ban that was due to expire on June 30 will now be extended.

Additional comments

“Our border controls are among the strongest in the world.”

“Quarantine capacity is growing as more citizens return.”

NZ reported seven new cases last week, all related to returning citizens, mostly transited via Asia.

Market reaction

The kiwi dollar is unfazed by the above announcement, as it rides the risk-on wave alongside the Asian equities. At the time of writing, NZD/USD adds 0.44% to trade at 0.6430 levels.