There are fears a new Covid variant emerging from South Africa could be more transmissible and deadlier than Delta.
The UK has put six African countries on its travel red list - with some flights temporarily banned - while the World Health Organisation will hold a special meeting on it today.
The government here says it is not yet made any changes to its border controls - but epidemiologist Michael Baker says New Zealand is "well placed" to keep variants out.
Our political reporter Anneke Smith has more.
