1. 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:

1. persons who travel to New Zealand on or about 18 June 2021 to participate in the Fijian Rugby Team Tour of New Zealand (as listed as a Government-approved event at H5.30.15 of the Immigration Instructions) as part of the Fijian Men’s Rugby team, which includes (but is not limited to) players, coaches, team management and other support staff;
2. who have undergone a COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction test within 72 hours prior to commencing their travel to New Zealand;
3. who have undergone a symptom check within 48 hours prior to commencing their travel to New Zealand;
4. who have undergone medical testing (nasopharangeal swab and serology) and clinical examination for COVID-19 within 24 hours of their arrival at their allocated managed isolation and quarantine facility (MIQF) in which they are residing and satisfy a medical officer of health that they are unlikely to transmit COVID-19; and
5. who have undergone medical testing and clinical examination for COVID-19 on or around the third day and on or around the sixth day after arrival in New Zealand (“Day Six Test”) and, after the Day Six Test only, satisfy a medical officer of health that they are unlikely to transmit COVID-19;

   (collectively “the Fijian Men’s Rugby team”).

2. The exemption will begin at 11.59pm on 11 June 2021.

3. This exemption expires after every person subject to this exemption completes their period of isolation or quarantine, or at 11.59pm on 18 July 2021 (whichever occurs earliest).

4. For the purposes of this exemption, a “Bubble” is a group of the Members of the Fijian Men’s Rugby team who may intermingle and train with each other. For the purposes of this exemption, the Members of the Fijian Men’s Rugby team are permitted to form a Bubble with each other.

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

1. all Members of the Fijian Men’s Rugby team seeking to rely on this exemption must undergo clinical examination and required testing to assess whether they have COVID-19, on the twelfth day after arrival in New Zealand;
2. while a medical officer of health undertakes investigations (if any) relating to, or for the purpose of, this exemption, the Members of the Fijian Men’s Rugby 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. each Member of the Fijian Men’s Rugby team must satisfy a medical officer of health, after clinical examination and required testing on each day referenced in (a) above, that they are unlikely to transmit COVID-19;
4. all Members of the Fijian Men’s Rugby team must only travel between the training facility that has been designated a low-risk MIQF for the purposes of the Members of the Fijian Men’s Rugby team to undertake training (“training facility”) and their allocated MIQF in which they are residing. This travel must be as direct as reasonably practicable;
5. 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;
6. all Members of the Fijian Men’s Rugby 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 Fijian Men’s Rugby team must wear medical face coverings as provided by the relevant facility 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 Fijian Men’s Rugby 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 exemption; and
9. all Members of the Fijian Men’s Rugby team may only access the areas of the MIQF in which they reside (their room) and spaces designated for official team business and the training facility, both as advised by the relevant site manager.

6. If any person is required to stay in a high-risk MIQF or otherwise fails to satisfy a medical officer of health that they are unlikely to transmit COVID-19, the exemption from clauses 8(2) and 8(3) of the Order may cease to apply to that person (upon notice given by the Director-General of Health to Fiji Rugby Union).

7. 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 Fiji Rugby Union 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.

8. If any person subject to this exemption breaches the Order, or is arrested, charged or is suspected of committing an offence punishable by imprisonment, 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 Fiji Rugby Union in respect of the persons 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.

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

Dated at Wellington this 1st day of June 2021.

Hon CHRIS HIPKINS, Minister for COVID-19 Response.