Dated at Wellington this 15th day of October 2021.
Hon Chris Hipkins,
Minister for COVID-19 Response.
Explanatory note
This note is not part of the order, but is intended to indicate its general effect.
The principal order is amended to update the vaccination requirement for affected persons. An affected person is currently required to be vaccinated by receiving 2 injections of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. The amendments in this order acknowledge that an affected person may have been vaccinated, or partially vaccinated, with other types of COVID-19 vaccines available overseas. The definition of vaccinated is replaced and a new Schedule 3 is inserted into the principal order that sets out the range of vaccines, or combinations of vaccines, that an affected person may receive (in accordance with the specific requirements) in order to be recognised as vaccinated.
The principal order is also amended to insert a new clause 9A that enables the Director-General of Health to authorise an affected person who has not been fully vaccinated to carry out certain work. An authorisation can only be given if the affected person has received at least 1 dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and the Director-General is satisfied that, taking into account the work to be carried out by the person, the receipt of that vaccine adequately prevents, or limits the risk of, an outbreak or the spread of COVID-19.
Additionally, clause 11 of the principal order is replaced with a new clause 11 that provides for an affected person’s COVID-19 vaccination record to be updated to include details of a dose of a COVID-19 vaccine that the affected person has received overseas.
Minor technical changes are also made to the principal order.
This order must be approved by a resolution of the House of Representatives before the expiry of the period described in section 16(2) of the COVID-19 Public Health Response Act 2020. If that does not happen, the order is revoked on the expiry of that period.
Issued under the authority of the Legislation Act 2012.
Date of notification in Gazette: 15 October 2021.
This order is administered by the Ministry of Health.