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 declare that New Zealand Domiciled Crew are exempt from clause 24(2) of the Order.

For the purposes of this exemption, New Zealand Domiciled Crew are New Zealand domiciled persons who:

1. will board a ship that is scheduled to depart from New Zealand and who will remain on board that ship after it departs from New Zealand; and
2. are engaged on board the ship:
   • as crew within the meaning of clause 4 of the Order; or
   • to ensure that the ship’s cargo reaches its destination in the condition acceptable to the owner of the cargo; or
   • to undertake work necessary to the ongoing operation of the ship.

This exemption is subject to the following conditions:

• New Zealand Domiciled Crew must comply with all requirements in the Order, as if they were a person arriving in New Zealand under clause 17(1); and
• New Zealand Domiciled Crew must join the ship at the latest practicable point in time before the ship departs from New Zealand; and
• for the purposes of clause 17(3)(c), a New Zealand domiciled crew member joining the ship is not considered to be a new person joining the ship

The exemption will begin at 11.59pm on 4 March 2021.

Dated at Wellington this 4th day of March 2021.

Hon CHRIS HIPKINS, Minister for COVID-19 Response.