Pursuant to section 7 of the Epidemic Preparedness Act 2006, the Prime Minister gives the following notice—
- with the agreement of the Minister of Health; and
- on, and after considering, the written recommendation of the Director-General of Health; and
- being satisfied that the effects of the outbreak of COVID-19 are likely to continue to disrupt essential governmental and business activity in New Zealand significantly.
Notice
1 Title
This notice is the Epidemic Preparedness (COVID-19) Notice 2020 Renewal Notice 2021.
2 Commencement
This notice comes into force on 21 March 2021.
3 Renewal of Epidemic Preparedness (COVID-19) Notice 2020
The Epidemic Preparedness (COVID-19) Notice 2020 is renewed.
Dated at Wellington this 15th day of March 2021.
Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN, Prime Minister.
Explanatory Note
This note is not part of the notice, but is intended to indicate its general effect.
This notice, which comes into force on 21 March 2021, renews the Epidemic Preparedness (COVID-19) Notice 2020 (New Zealand Gazette, 24 March 2020, Notice No. 2020-go1368) (“principal notice”).
The principal notice came into force on 25 March 2020. It must be renewed every three months to stop it from expiring (see sections 5(3) and 7(3) of the Epidemic Preparedness Act 2006). As a result of this latest renewal, the principal notice will not now expire until 21 June 2021, unless an earlier date is stated for that purpose by the Prime Minister by notice in the New Zealand Gazette (see section 7(3) of the Epidemic Preparedness Act 2006).
Under the principal notice, the Prime Minister declared that she is satisfied that the effects of the outbreak of COVID-19 are likely to disrupt or continue to disrupt essential governmental and business activity in New Zealand significantly.
The principal notice is one way in which—
- specific powers under sections 70 and 71 of the Health Act 1956 were activated; and
- the prerequisites for making a section 11 order under the COVID-19 Public Health Response Act 2020 can be satisfied.
The principal notice also—
- activated section 24 of the Epidemic Preparedness Act 2006; and
- is a prerequisite for the making of notices under section 74C of the Health Act 1956; and
- is a prerequisite for the making of epidemic management notices under section 8 of the Epidemic Preparedness Act 2006; and
- is a prerequisite for the making of immediate modification orders under sections 14 and 15 of the Epidemic Preparedness Act 2006; and
- is relevant to whether the Chief Electoral Officer may, under the Electoral Act 1993, adjourn voting at polling places and use alternative voting processes (see sections 195 to 195B of that Act); and
- is relevant to whether liability for certain people, including employees of the Department of Corrections, may be excluded for failures to comply with the Corrections Act 2004 or regulations made under it (see sections 179C and 179E of that Act).
This notice is administered by the Ministry of Health.