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

• persons who travel to New Zealand on or about 24 November 2020 to participate in the International Pakistan Men’s Cricket Tour of New Zealand (as listed as a Government-approved event at H5.30.15 of the Immigration Instructions) as part of the Pakistan Men’s Cricket team, which includes (but is not limited to) players, coaches, team management and other support staff;
• who have undergone a COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction test (PCR) within a period of time confirmed as acceptable by the Ministry of Health prior to commencing their travel to New Zealand;
• who have undergone a symptom check within 48 hours prior to commencing their travel to New Zealand; and
• who have undergone medical testing and examination on or around the third day after arrival in New Zealand and satisfy a medical officer of health that they are unlikely to transmit COVID-19

(collectively “Members of the Pakistan Cricket Team”).

The exemption will begin at 11.59pm on 20 November 2020.

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

For the purposes of this exemption, a “Bubble” is a group of the Members of the Pakistan Cricket Team who may intermingle and train with each other. Different Bubbles must maintain physical distancing from members of a different Bubble.

For the purposes of this exemption and subject to (f) below, Members of the Pakistan Team must be allocated to one of three bubbles (“Bubble 1” and “Bubble 2” and “Bubble 3” and “Bubble 4”). Bubble 1, Bubble 2, Bubble 3 and Bubble 4 are to be made up of no more than 15 people. Persons in Bubble 1 can only intermingle and train with other persons in Bubble 1. Persons in Bubble 2 can only intermingle and train with other persons in Bubble 2. Persons in Bubble 3 can only intermingle and train with other persons in Bubble 3. Persons in Bubble 4 can only intermingle and train with other persons in Bubble 4.

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

1. all Members of the Pakistan Cricket Team seeking to rely on this exemption must undergo medical examination and testing to assess whether they have COVID-19, on:
1. the sixth day after arrival in New Zealand; and
2. the twelfth day after arrival in New Zealand.
2. while a medical officer of health undertakes any investigations into the nature of a test result that is positive for COVID-19, or into symptoms associated with COVID-19, the Members of the Pakistan Cricket Team must act consistently with the requirements of clause 8(2) and 8(3) of the Order until advised otherwise by that medical officer of health;
3. all Members of the Pakistan Cricket Team must only travel between the training facility that has been designated a low-risk managed isolation and quarantine facility (“MIQF”) for the purposes of the Members of the Pakistan Cricket Team to undertake training (“training facility”) and their allocated MIQF in which they are residing. This travel must be as direct as reasonably practicable;
4. 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;
5. members of Bubble 1, Bubble 2, Bubble 3 and Bubble 4 must at all times maintain 2 metre distance from members of any other bubble and any other persons who are not otherwise in their allocated bubble, including while undertaking travel between the training facility and their allocated MIQF in which they are residing;
6. all Members of the Pakistan Cricket Team 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);
7. all Members of the Pakistan Cricket Team 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;
8. all Members of the Pakistan Cricket Team 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 and in accordance with this notice;
9. all Members of the Pakistan Cricket Team may only access the areas of the MIQF in which they reside and the training facility as advised by the relevant site manager;

If any person is required to stay in a high-risk MIQF, the exemption from clauses 8(2) and 8(3) of the Order will cease to apply to that person.

If any person, or groups of persons, subject to this exemption does not meet or comply with a condition of this exemption, or breaches a condition of this exemption, 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 Pakistan Cricket in respect to either all persons subject to this exemption or any person (or groups of persons) as named in the notice. The exemption may either cease to apply in its entirety, for a fixed time period as set out in the notice or until remedial conditions set out in the notice are met.

If any person subject to this exemption breaches the Order, or are arrested, charged or are suspected of committing an offence punishable by imprisonment, 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 Pakistan Cricket in respect to the person’s named in that notice. The exemption may either cease to apply in its entirety, for a fixed time period as set out in the notice or until remedial conditions set out in the notice are met.

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

Dated at Wellington this 20th day of November 2020.

Hon CHRIS HIPKINS, Minister for COVID-19 Response.