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 the following persons who satisfy the following criteria are exempt from clause 8(2B) of the Order (being the pre-departure testing requirements):

1. persons who are arriving in New Zealand as aircrew members (whom clause 8(2B) would ordinarily apply to under the Order); but
2. who are not specified air crew members exempt under clause 20A(1) of the Order (being aircrew members who are not ordinarily resident in New Zealand);

2. An aircrew member is defined in the Order, meaning any person who:

1. is identified as a crew member on the crew manifest for the aircraft on which they arrive in New Zealand; or
2. is not identified as a crew member on that manifest but is on the aircraft at the direction of an airline for which they work as a pilot, co-pilot, or flight attendant;

3. This exemption is subject to the following conditions:

1. persons subject to this exemption must have either:
1. a negative result from a COVID-19 test (as defined in clause 8(5) of the Order and as specified by the Director-General of Health) administered no more than 7 days immediately before arrival in New Zealand; or
2. a certificate that verifies that the person subject to this exemption was examined by a specified person no more than 7 days immediately before arrival in New Zealand and that person –
1. was determined to have particular physical or other needs that made it inappropriate for the person to undergo a COVID-19 test; and
2. did not exhibit symptoms of COVID-19; or
3. in the case of a positive result from a COVID-19 test administered no more than 7 days immediately before arrival in New Zealand, a certificate that verifies that a specified person considers that the person subject to this exemption is no longer infectious; and
2. persons subject to this exemption must produce appropriate evidence (as specified by the Director-General of Health) of the result of that COVID-19 test or certificate if requested by 1 or more of the following:
1. a health protection officer:
2. an immigration officer:
3. an enforcement officer.

4. The exemption will begin at 11.59pm on 29 January 2021 until revoked or the COVID-19 Public Health Response Act 2020 is no longer in force;

5. This exemption does not limit the application of any other provision in any order made under section 11 of the COVID-19 Public Health Response Act 2020.

Dated at Wellington this 29th day of January 2021.

Hon CHRIS HIPKINS, Minister for COVID-19 Response.