1. Pursuant to clause 26 of the COVID-19 Public Health Response (Air Border) Order (No 2) 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 persons:

1. arriving in New Zealand as a passenger on an Airbus A320 or A321 aircraft operated by Air New Zealand Limited;
2. who have travelled non-stop from the Cook Islands to New Zealand; and
3. who satisfy the quarantine-free entry criteria as defined in clause 2

are exempt from clause 8(2A), 8(3), 8(3A) and 8(4) of the Order.

2. The quarantine-free entry criteria are that:

1. the person has been in the Cook Islands and/or New Zealand for at least 14 consecutive days immediately prior to travelling to New Zealand;
2. they have maintained physical distancing (to the greatest extent practicable) from any person, at the airport at which they arrive, who did not arrive from the Cook Islands;
3. they have worn a face covering while in the airport at which they arrived in New Zealand; and
4. on arrival into New Zealand, there are no reasonable grounds (as determined by a suitably qualified health practitioner) to suspect that the person may have COVID-19.

3. For the purpose of this exemption, face covering means a covering of any type that covers the nose and mouth of a person.

4. For the purpose of this exemption, physical distancing, from other persons, means remaining at least two metres away from them.

5. This exemption will commence at 11.59pm on 20 January 2021. This exemption expires at 11.59pm on 31 March 2021.

Dated at Wellington this 13th day of January 2021.

Hon CHRIS HIPKINS, Minister for COVID-19 Response.