Notice Type
Departmental
Notice Title

Exemption of Persons From Clause 8(2A), (3) and (4) 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 Dr Ayesha Verrall, Acting Minister for COVID-19 Response, having taken into account the advice of the Director-General of Health, declare that the following persons are exempt from clauses 8(2A), (3) and (4) of the Order:

The Australian Rugby team arriving by charter flight from Brisbane to Auckland on or about 30 July 2021, where persons:

  1. have not been in any country other than New Zealand or Australia in the 14 days immediately prior to their departure for New Zealand (“relevant 14-day period”);
  2. have not been in the State of New South Wales in the 14 days immediately prior to their departure for New Zealand;
  3. have evidence of a qualifying pre-departure test;
  4. have either:
    1. not had a positive result from a test for COVID-19 during the relevant 14-day period; or
    2. have had a positive result from a test for COVID-19 during the relevant 14-day period and they have a certificate from a medical practitioner verifying that the medical practitioner is of the opinion that this is an historical infection and the person is no longer infectious with COVID-19; and
  5. are not awaiting the results of a test for COVID-19 that they have undergone during the relevant 14-day period;
  6. are not subject to a relevant direction or advice from a suitably qualified health practitioner or official of an Australian public health authority to undergo a test for COVID-19 or isolate from others;
  7. are not someone who a relevant health professional determines, on the person’s arrival in New Zealand;
    1. is at more than a low risk of having or transmitting COVID-19; or
    2. is a close contact of a person who is at more than a low risk of having or transmitting COVID-19;
  8. do 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

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

2. For the purposes of this instrument:

  1. Australian Rugby Team means up to a maximum of 69 people, including players, coaches, team management and other support staff of the Australian Rugby Union team travelling to New Zealand on or about 30 July 2021
  2. medical practitioner means a person who is registered or licensed in Australia as a health professional equivalent to a medical practitioner
  3. official of an Australian public health authority includes a person who is engaged by an Australian public health authority
  4. qualifying pre-departure test, for a person, means a negative result, or a certificate, that would satisfy clause 8(2B)(a) of the Order. For the purposes of this definition, a reference in clause 8(2B)(a) of the Order is to be treated as a reference to an RT-PCR test.
  5. relevant direction or advice
    1. means a direction under an Australian law; and
    2. includes a direction or advice from a suitably qualified health practitioner, or an official of an Australian public health authority, given in Australia
  6. 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)
  7. suitably qualified health practitioner includes a person who is registered or licensed in Australia as a health professional equivalent to a suitably qualified health practitioner.

3. The exemption will begin at 11.59pm New Zealand time on Thursday 29 July 2021.

Dated at Wellington this 29th day of July 2021.

Hon Dr AYESHA VERRALL, Acting Minister for COVID-19 Response.