A revocation to this notice was published on 23 November 2022, Notice No. 2022-go4980.

Notice Type
Departmental
Notice Title

Exemption of Persons From Clause 8(3) of the COVID-19 Public Health Response (Air Border) Order (No 2) 2020

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 persons who satisfy the following criteria are exempt from clause 8(3) of the Order:

  1. Persons who are a specified aircrew member returning to New Zealand after attending training for regulatory compliance, who:
    1. have not been outside New Zealand for a continuous period of more than 14 days (excluding any time spent in managed isolation or quarantine in Australia);
    2. are fully vaccinated;
    3. are on a seven-day surveillance COVID-19 testing regime consistent with the COVID-19 Public Health Response (Required Testing) Order 2020, but may undertake their required test overseas if that is necessary;
    4. on arrival in New Zealand, does not have any of the following symptoms:
      1. a new or worsening cough;
      2. a sore throat;
      3. shortness of breath;
      4. a runny nose;
      5. a loss of sense of smell;
      6. a fever; or

        where they have symptoms, a suitably qualified health practitioner has certified, on the basis of the symptoms the person is experiencing, that they should not be required to isolate or quarantine;

    5. has complied with the Key Safety Standards for relevant aircrew in Schedule 2 of the COVID-19 Public Health Response (Isolation and Quarantine) Order 2020 (“Isolation and Quarantine Order”) at all times when outside New Zealand, subject to clause 2 below;
    6. if they were outside New Zealand for a continuous period of more than 7 days but not more than 14 days on arrival in New Zealand self-isolates and remains at their place of self-isolation until they have returned a negative RT-PCR test for COVID-19 taken on day 3 (between 48-72 hours) after their arrival in New Zealand;
    7. undertakes RT-PCR test for COVID-19 on day 7 and day 14 after their arrival in New Zealand;
    8. immediately self-isolates and calls Healthline if at any stage after they have arrived in New Zealand, for up to 14 days after their arrival in New Zealand, develops COVID-19 symptoms.

2. For the purposes of this exemption, a specified aircrew member does not fail to meet the Key Safety Standard in clause 6(1) of Schedule 2 of the Isolation and Quarantine Order if the member undertakes training for regulatory compliance other than flight simulator training.

3. For the purposes of this instrument:

  1. training for regulatory compliance means training that is required to maintain compliance with any relevant prescribed safety standards, as per the Civil Aviation Act 1990 (see section 12(4)(b)) or that required by an equivalent international regulator.
  2. fully vaccinated in relation to a person means that the person is vaccinated consistently with the requirements of Schedule 3 of the COVID-19 Public Health Response (Vaccinations) Order 2021.
  3. place of self-isolation means the room in hotel accommodation provided by a specified aircrew members’ employer for the purpose of self-isolation.
  4. RT-PCR test means a test for severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) viral ribonucleic acid using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).
  5. specified aircrew member has the same meaning as in clause 19 of the Order, being an aircrew member arriving in New Zealand by air who is ordinarily resident in New Zealand.

4. The exemption will begin at 11.59pm on 10 November 2021 and continues until revoked.

Dated at Wellington this 9th day of November 2021.

Hon CHRIS HIPKINS, Minister for COVID-19 Response.