Pursuant to clause 15A of the COVID-19 Public Health Response (Isolation and Quarantine) Order 2020 (“Order”), I, Hon Chris Hipkins, Minister of Health, having taken into account the advice of the Director-General of Health, hereby declare that the following persons are exempt from clauses 8(2) and 8(3) of the Order:

• persons who are due to travel to New Zealand on 25 September 2020 to participate in the Bledisloe Cup (as listed as a Government-approved event at H5.30.15 of the Immigration Instructions) as part of the Australian National Rugby team, which includes (but is not limited to) players, coaches, team management and other support staff (“Members of the Australian Rugby Team”);
• who have undergone medical testing and examination to assess whether they have COVID-19, with a negative result, on or around the third day after arrival in New Zealand (“Members of the Australian Bubble”); and
• who meet the conditions set out in this notice.

The exemption will begin at 11.59am on 25 September 2020.

This exemption expires after every person subject to this exemption completes their period of isolation or quarantine, or at 11.59pm on 25 October 2020 (whichever occurs earliest).

For the purposes of this exemption, “bubble” means the group of persons subject to this exemption.

The exemption from clauses 8(2) and 8(3) is subject to the following conditions:

1. all Members of the Australian Bubble must only travel between Linfield Park (Kearney Road, Bromley, Christchurch 8062) (“training facility”) and their allocated managed isolation or quarantine facility (MIQF). This travel must be as direct as reasonably practicable;
2. the travel between the training facility and the MIQF in which they are residing must be undertaken in vehicles that have been designated by the Crown for this purpose;
3. all Members of the Australian Bubble must not have any in-person contact with any other person who is not in their bubble, except to the extent required to undertake the travel to and from the training facility and the MIQF in which they are residing and except as contemplated by the Order (for example, contact may be required with the driver of the designated vehicle and any site manager);
4. all Members of the Australian Bubble must wear face coverings while traveling in the designated vehicles to and from the training facility and their allocated MIQF in which they are residing;
5. subject to sub-paragraph (c) above, all Members of the Australian Bubble must only intermingle with other individuals in their bubble, and must maintain physical distancing (to the greatest extent practicable) from all other residents (i.e. those persons not subject to this exemption) at the MIQF at which they are residing and any other location;
6. all Members of the Australian Bubble may only access the areas of the MIQF in which they reside and the training facility as advised by the site manager;
7. all Members of the Australian Bubble may not use the pool or sauna at the MIQF at which they are resident;
8. all Members of the Australian Bubble must undergo medical examination and testing to assess whether they have COVID-19, with a negative result, on:
1. the sixth day after arrival in New Zealand; and
2. the twelfth day after arrival in New Zealand.

If any person subject to this exemption does not meet or comply with a condition of this exemption, or breaches a condition of this exemption, or is moved to a high-risk MIQF, the exemption from clauses 8(2) and 8(3) of the Order will cease to apply upon the giving of notice by the Director-General of Health to Rugby Australia in respect to the persons named in that notice.

If any person subject to this exemption breaches the Order, the exemption from clauses 8(2) and 8(3) will cease to apply upon the giving of notice by the Director-General of Health to Rugby Australia in respect to the persons named in that notice.

Subject to the terms of this exemption, all other provisions of the Order continue to apply until the exemption expires.

Dated at Wellington this 24th day of September 2020.

Hon CHRIS HIPKINS, Minister of Health.