Significant changes to covid-related requirements are taking place in New Zealand now, including the removal of some government-required mandates, testing and the end of the official Covid-19 vaccination certificate. This coincides with the relaxation of entry requirements into the country. Yet the Orange setting for restrictions remains.
Notably, mandates for teachers and close-contact healthcare staff remain.
End of Government-Issued Vaccination Certificate
Legislation was passed on 17 June to end the official government Covid-19 vaccination certificate. This means that in locations where vaccination is still required for access, another form of proof of status will have to be used.
Mandate Changes
From 11.59pm 2nd July, i.e. Sunday morning, border workers and Corrections staff will no longer be required to be “fully vaccinated”. All Corrections staff are already fully vaccinated and so are almost all border workers. This will also impact visitors to Corrections facilities.
Passengers transiting through New Zealand did not have to be vaccinated from 20 June, nor be required to complete a New Zealand Traveller Declaration. Pre-departure testing was also removed as a requirement from that date. Arriving passengers are still required to self-test on arrival on the first day and again on the fifth day. A positive test would then necessitate a PCR test.
Contractors to medical facilities will no longer be mandated unless there is proximity (within 2 metres) with medical personnel or patients for 15 minutes or more. This change will come into effect from 11.59pm on 7 July, i.e. Friday 8 July.
Old Healthcare Mandate
New Healthcare Mandate
The wording change from “Workers who carry out work” to “Workers who are employed or engaged” in item 7.2 is significant as this also impacts firefighters. Previously, firefighters were deemed to be “Affected Persons” as their work brought them into contact with medical personnel. This change has meant that firefighters are no longer mandated and volunteer firefighters who had left due to the mandates can return from Friday next week.
Testing Requirement Change
New Zealand remains at the Orange setting, to reflect ongoing community transmission. Testing requirements have changed as the rate of reinfection has been observed to be higher than expected. Free flu vaccinations are also being made available to all children aged 3-12 years old.
The government’s announcement yesterday stated,
“We are also updating our advice around reinfection and are now asking anyone experiencing COVID-19 symptoms 29 days or longer following their initial infection to test. Should they test positive they will need to isolate for 7 days.
“This is a change from earlier advice which was that people would not need to re-test if they had tested positive for COVID-19 within the past 90 days and is based on the latest international evidence and the need to isolate quickly people with reinfections.
“However household contacts who have had COVID-19 within 90 days won’t need to isolate, unless they are symptomatic.”
