Pursuant to section 8 of the Epidemic Preparedness Act 2006, the Prime Minister gives the following notice—

1. with the agreement of the Minister for Social Development and the Minister of Immigration; and
2. being satisfied that the effects of the outbreak of COVID-19 make it, or are likely to make it, reasonably necessary to make the notice.

Notice

1. Title

This notice is the Epidemic Preparedness (Epidemic Management— COVID-19) Notice 2020.

2. Commencement

(1) Clause 5 comes into force on 2 April 2020.

(2) The rest of this notice comes into force on 25 March 2020.

3. Notice applies to COVID-19

This notice applies in relation to COVID-19 (the disease), as identified in the Epidemic Preparedness (COVID-19) Notice 2020.

4. Social Security Act 2018 measures activated by notice

This notice states that the application of the Social Security Act 2018 is modified in order to deal with the practical effects of the outbreak of the disease.

5. Immigration Act 2009 measures activated by notice

This notice states that the application of the Immigration Act 2009 is modified in order to deal with the practical effects of the outbreak of the disease.

Dated at Wellington this 24th day of March 2020.

Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN, Prime Minister.

Explanatory Note

This note is not part of the notice, but is intended to indicate its general effect.

This is an epidemic management notice under the Epidemic Preparedness Act 2006. It is in response to the outbreak of COVID-19, as identified in the Epidemic Preparedness (COVID-19) Notice 2020.

This notice activates certain dormant legislative provisions. The dormant provisions in the Immigration Act 2009 are activated on 2 April 2020. The rest of this notice comes into force on 25 March 2020.

Legislative provisions activated by this notice

The legislative provisions activated by this notice are as follows:

• the following sections of the Social Security Act 2018:
  • section 64, which allows the Ministry for Social Development to, with their Minister’s approval, grant emergency benefits to people who would not otherwise be entitled to them:
  • section 299, which allows the Ministry for Social Development to grant benefits even if the claims for them have not been inquired into:
  • section 443, which empowers the making of regulations that increase flexibility in relation to the payment, reinstatement, grant, increase, cancellation, suspension, or variation of benefits:
• the following sections of the Immigration Act 2009:
  • section 78, which deems existing temporary entry class visas to be extended in certain circumstances:
  • section 337, which allows a District Court Judge to deal with matters on the basis of documents only, where that Act would normally require a certain person to be brought before the Judge:
  • section 338, which allows a District Court Judge to consider a particular question at intervals of not more than 28 days, where that Act would normally require a person to be brought before the Judge for the consideration of the question at intervals of not more than a stated duration:
  • section 339, which provides that existing warrants of commitment have effect for 28 days:
  • section 340, which allows an immigration officer and a released person to agree to vary a condition imposed under section 320 of that Act:
  • section 341, which modifies the calculation of the consecutive period for which a person has been detained under 1 or more warrants of commitment.

This notice is administered by the Ministry of Health.