Pursuant to clause 26 of the COVID-19 Public Health Response (Air Border) Order (No 2) 2020, the Minister for COVID-19 Response gives the following notice after complying with that clause.

Notice

1 Title

This notice is the COVID-19 Public Health Response (Exemption for Quarantine-free Travel) Notice 2021.

2 Commencement

This notice comes into force at 11.59pm on 18 April 2021.

3 Interpretation

In this notice,—

Air Border Order means the COVID-19 Public Health Response (Air Border) Order (No 2) 2020

relevant health professional means—

1. a suitably qualified health practitioner responsible for the medical examination and testing of persons under clause 8(2) of the Air Border Order; or
2. a medical officer of health.

4 Exemption Allowing Quarantine-free Travel by Person

(1) A person who arrives in New Zealand on an aircraft undertaking a QFT flight is exempt from the requirements to comply with the following provisions of the Air Border Order:

1. clause 8(2A) (requirement for confirmed allocation):
2. clause 8(3) to (4) (requirement for isolation or quarantine).

(2) The exemption under subclause (1)(b) is subject to the following conditions:

1. that, on the person’s arrival in New Zealand, they meet all of the applicable QFT prerequisites except the prerequisite in clause 9 of Schedule 2 of the Air Border Order (which relates to contact tracing):
2. that the person is not someone who a relevant health professional determines, on the person’s arrival in New Zealand,—
   1. is at more than a low risk of having or transmitting COVID-19; or
   2. is a close contact of a person who is at more than a low risk of having or transmitting COVID-19.

5 Transitional Provision

Clause 4 applies only in relation to a QFT flight that departs for New Zealand on or after the commencement of this notice.

6 Revocations

The following notices are revoked:

1. Exemption of Persons From Clause 8 of the COVID-19 Public Health Response (Air Border) Order (No 2) 2020 (New Zealand Gazette, 16 March 2021, Notice No. 2021-go964):
2. Exemption of Persons From Clause 8 of the COVID-19 Public Health Response (Air Border) Order (No 2) 2020—Cook Islands (No 2) (New Zealand Gazette, 1 April 2021, Notice No. 2021-go1166).

Dated at Wellington this 16th day of April 2021.

Hon CHRIS HIPKINS, Minister for COVID-19 Response.

Explanatory Note

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

This notice is made under the COVID-19 Public Health Response (Air Border) Order (No 2) 2020 (the Air Border Order). It comes into force at 11.59pm on 18 April 2021 and applies only in relation to a flight that departs at or after that time.

The notice exempts certain people who arrive in New Zealand on a quarantine-free travel flight (or QFT flight, as defined by the Air Border Order) from the requirements for—

• a confirmed allocation to enter a managed isolation or quarantine facility; and
• isolation or quarantine on arrival.

QFT flights are from international airports in the following QFT places:

• Australia:
• the Cook Islands:
• Niue.

To qualify for the exemption from isolation or quarantine, a person must satisfy the following conditions:

• they must meet all of the applicable QFT prerequisites when they arrive in New Zealand (which relate to their recent location, any recent isolation or quarantine, any recent tests for COVID-19, any direction to be tested or to isolate, testing of certain aircrew members, and any symptoms of COVID-19), except the prerequisite relating to contact tracing; and
• they must not be at more than a low risk of having or transmitting COVID-19, and not be a close contact of such a person, as determined by a relevant health professional when the person arrives in New Zealand.

This notice replaces existing exemption notices in relation to the Cook Islands and Niue.

This notice is administered by the Ministry of Health.