Pursuant to clause 31A of the COVID-19 Public Health Response (Maritime 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 make an exemption for the crew members of the Amaltal Explorer scheduled to arrive in New Zealand between 16 July and 16 October 2021 from clauses 17 and 19 of the Order.

This exemption is subject to the following conditions:

1. In the 14 days prior to arrival no person on board has been in any place other than:
1. New Zealand;
2. a Quarantine Free Travel (QFT) place as defined in clause 4 of the COVID-19 Public Health Response (Air Border) Order (No 2) 2020 (Air Border Order);
3. at sea on board the vessel in transit between New Zealand and a QFT place; and
2. no person on board has been in any COVID-19 locations of interest at the relevant times advised by the Australian or the New Zealand Government in the 14 days prior to the ship’s arrival in New Zealand; and
3. no person on board has been identified as a close or casual contact of a case of COVID-19 in the 14 days prior to the ship’s arrival in New Zealand; and
4. no person on board is experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 at the time of the ship’s departure; and
5. no person on board has made physical contact with another person during the ship’s journey to New Zealand who was not onboard the ship at the time of the ship’s departure except for a person who undertakes a necessary task as per clause 24 of the Air Border Order; and
6. there is no pause or suspension of QFT in operation at the port of origin at the time of departure; and
7. no port at which any person on board disembarked during the ship’s journey to New Zealand is a place where QFT is suspended or paused; and
8. all crew meet any requirements relating to pre-departure testing for QFT travel under the Air Border Order at the time of the ship’s departure.

Dated at Wellington this 13th day of July 2021.

Hon CHRIS HIPKINS, Minister for COVID-19 Response.