Pursuant to clause 54 of the COVID-19 Public Health Response (Alert Level Requirements) Order (No 12) 2021 (“Order”), I, Dr Ashley Bloomfield, Director-General, Ministry of Health, being satisfied that:

• the exemption is necessary or desirable in order to promote the purposes of the Act; and
• that the extent of this exemption is not broader than is reasonably necessary to address the matters that gave rise to the exemption,

declare that the following class of persons is exempt from clause 19A and 19B of the Order:

• All crew on ships traveling into, through, or out of any alert level region who have not boarded or disembarked their ship from or into an alert level 3 or 4 region in the last 14 days (except to complete an essential task in accordance with clause 21 of the COVID-19 Public Health Response (Maritime Border) Order (No 2) 2020).
• All shipping businesses and services in Schedule 5 of the Order for which persons are permitted to travel into, out of or through alert level areas.

The exemption is subject to the following conditions:

1. No crew member subject to this exemption has taken shore leave in an Alert Level 3 or Alert Level 4 region in the last 14 days; and
2. No crew member subject to this exemption has joined their ship from an Alert Level 3 or Alert Level 4 region in New Zealand in the past 14 days

The exemption made on 17 September under clause 51 of the COVID-19 Public Health Response (Alert Level Requirements) order (No 11) 2021, (New Zealand Gazette, 17 September 2021, Notice No. 2021-go4034), is revoked.

Once signed, this exemption will be effective as of 11.59pm on 22 September 2021.

Dated at Wellington this 24th day of September 2021.

Dr ASHLEY BLOOMFIELD, Director-General of Health.