Pursuant to clause 27 of the COVID-19 Public Health Response (Alert Levels 3 and 2) Order 2020 (“Order”), I, Dr Ashley Bloomfield, Director-General, Ministry of Health, hereby declare that the following persons are exempted from clause 8(1)(a) and clause 23 of the Order:

Persons entering an alert level 3 area if they are entering for the purpose of travelling through the alert level 3 area to return to their principal home or place of residence in another part of New Zealand.

The exemption is subject to the following conditions:

1. Any exempted person must travel directly to their principal home or place of residence.
2. Persons subject to this exemption must wear a face covering when travelling into an alert level 3 area.

Further, pursuant to clause 27 of the Order, I hereby declare that the following persons are exempted from clause 8(1)(a) of the Order:

Persons leaving an alert level 3 area who are returning to their principal home or place of residence in another part of New Zealand.

The exemption is subject to the following conditions:

1. Any exempted person who is leaving an alert level 3 area by aircraft must wear a face covering while on the aircraft unless one or more of the following exceptions applies:
1. the person is under the age of 12 years:
2. the person has a physical or mental health illness or condition or disability that makes wearing a face covering unsuitable:
3. the person is communicating with a person who is deaf or hard of hearing and visibility of the mouth is essential for communication:
4. the person is asked to remove the face covering to ascertain identity:
5. there is an emergency:
6. doing so is not safe in all the circumstances:
7. removal or not wearing the face covering is otherwise required or authorised by law.

In the exemptions above, a face covering includes a face mask or face shield designed, or made to be worn, over the nose and mouth to provide the wearer protection against infection.

The above exemptions will begin at 11.59pm on 14 August 2020 and cease at the expiry of the Order.

Dated at Wellington this 14th day of August 2020.

Dr ASHLEY BLOOMFIELD, Director-General of Health.