Pre-departure Test

Pursuant to clauses 4 and 14 of the COVID-19 Public Health Response (Air Border) Order 2021 (“Order”), I, Dr Ashley Bloomfield, Director-General of Health, hereby designate the following to be a COVID-19 test for the purposes of clause 4 and 14 of the Order, unless otherwise stated in this notice:

1. Testing for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) viral ribonucleic acid using polymerase chain reaction (PCR).
2. Testing for SARS-CoV-2 viral ribonucleic acid using loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP).
3. Testing for antigens specific to SARS-CoV-2 (also known as a rapid antigen test or RAT).

Specified Period

For the purposes of clause 14(1)(a) of the Order, the specified period, in which a person must have undergone a COVID-19 test, for different classes of persons is as follows:

4. The specified period for the following classes of persons is the previous seven days (168 hours):
1. New Zealand-based aircrew members
2. Overseas-based aircrew members
3. Relevant workers
5. The specified period for all other persons, who are not otherwise covered by this notice, is:
1. 48 hours before the person’s journey to New Zealand begins if the COVID-19 test is a PCR test,
2. 24 hours before the person’s journey to New Zealand begins if the COVID-19 test is a RAT or LAMP test.

For the purposes of clause 14(1)(b) of the Order, the specified period for all persons to have been examined is 72 hours before the person’s journey to New Zealand begins.

General Traveller (B) Arrivals

For General traveller (B) persons, I hereby designate a COVID-19 test for the purpose of clauses 4 and 14, and schedule 12, of the Order to be one of the following.

6. A PCR test with a specified period of 48 hours before the person’s journey to New Zealand begins.
7. A LAMP test supervised by a health professional with a specified period of 24 hours before the person’s journey to New Zealand begins.
8. A RAT test supervised by a health professional with a specified period of 24 hours before the person’s journey to New Zealand begins.

General Traveller (C) Arrivals

For General traveller (C) persons, I hereby designate a COVID-19 test for the purpose of clauses 4 and 14, and schedule 13, of the Order to be the following.

9. A PCR test with a specified period of 48 hours before the person’s journey to New Zealand begins.

General Traveller (Z) Arrivals

For General traveller (Z) persons, I hereby designate a COVID-19 test for the purpose of clauses 4 and 14, and schedule 14, of the Order to be one of the following.

10. A PCR test with a specified period of 48 hours before the person’s journey to New Zealand begins.
11. A LAMP test supervised by a health professional with a specified period of 24 hours before the person’s journey to New Zealand begins.
12. A RAT supervised by a health professional with a specified period of 24 hours before the person’s journey to New Zealand begins.

All General Travellers

For the purposes of this notice, journey may include a multi-leg journey. A traveller is taken to have begun their multi-leg journey –

1. on the traveller’s first international departure; or
2. if the person stays after that first international departure in any country or other place for more than 72 hours, on their international departure from the country or other place at which the person most recently stayed for 72 hours or more before arriving in New Zealand.

For the purposes of this notice, the specified period for any person is to be treated as 72 hours from a person’s new departure time if:

3. the initial flight of that person’s journey to New Zealand is delayed for a period of less than 24 hours, or
4. the person’s booking for the journey to New Zealand is cancelled and the person is subsequently re-booked for departure within 24 hours of the cancellation.

For the purposes of this notice, supervised by a health professional means that a health professional (including a pharmacist) witnesses the test being undertaken (in a professional capacity) and has provided evidence that they have done so, and that the negative result is true and correct.

This notice will come into force at 11.59pm on 27 February 2022.

Dated at Wellington this 25th day of February 2022.

Dr ASHLEY BLOOMFIELD, Director-General of Health.