Foreign Minister Winston Peters [Source: nzherald]
The Government has temporarily closed down a High Commission and an embassy due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and warned that more closures could be on the way.
New Zealand’s High Commission in Barbados’ capital Bridgetown and the NZ Embassy in Yangon, Myanmar, have been closed due to the increasing scarcity of flights to those cities.
Foreign Minister Winston Peters said the move was also made in response to the pressure that COVID-19 is putting on the local health systems of those countries.
Although only two diplomatic posts were temporarily closed, Peters had a warning for other High Commissions and embassies around the world.
“With the rapidly changing health, safety and security situation for staff overseas due to COVID-19, we cannot rule out other temporary closures as a result of the pandemic.
