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 and being satisfied that:

• the exemption is necessary or desirable in order to promote the purposes of the Act or the purposes of the Order; and
• that the extent of this exemption is not broader than is reasonably necessary to address the matters that gave rise to the exemption,

declare that those persons who arrive in New Zealand on board a ship which since it last departed from a port or place in New Zealand and have travelled only within New Zealand’s exclusive economic zone are exempt from the requirement to meet the condition in clause 17(4A)(c) of the Order for the port or place of the ships last departure to be alert level one.

The exemption is subject to the following conditions:

1. no person on board the ship is otherwise required by a COVID-19 order to be isolated or quarantined on their arrival in New Zealand; and
2. no person on board the ship came into contact with any person who was not part of the voyage, unless the contact was approved in advance (with or without conditions) by the Director-General.

Once signed, this exemption will be effective as of 11.59pm on 1 October 2021.

Dated at Wellington this 1st day of October 2021.

Hon CHRIS HIPKINS, Minister for COVID-19 Response.