Starting yesterday, flights from Auckland to Samoa have an added restriction of showing a medical clearance certificate before being given a boarding pass. The medical certificate must have been issued within 3 days before the flight.

Obviously this is a huge burden for travellers and I'm sure many people will be caught offguard by this requirement, or simply would not have been able to get a doctors appointment and have all the tests done to get a medical certificate on such short notice.

In light of this, is Air Newzealand actually enforcing this rule for their flights to Samoa and denying boarding to tons of people? Or is everyone actually able to get a medical certificate issued within the last 3 days? Or is Air Newzealand being lax about checking the medical certificate

I'd love to hear first-hand reports on the impact of this new restriction of medical certificate and its enforcement since I'm planning on travelling to Samoa soon and this whole medical requirement seems like a nightmare to get logistically (not to mention, going to a hospital risks exposure to viruses and tying up medical resources just to get a certificate seems ill-advised)