COVID-19 Public Health Response (Self-isolation Requirements and Permitted Work) Amendment Order 2022

Order

1 Title

This order is the COVID-19 Public Health Response (Self-isolation Requirements and Permitted Work) Amendment Order 2022.

2 Commencement

This order comes into force at 11.59 pm on 4 March 2022.

4 Subpart 1 heading in Part 3 replaced

In Part 3, replace the subpart 1 heading with:

Subpart 1—Exemptions

5 New clause 27A inserted (Director-General may exempt COVID-19 case from requirement to remain at place of self-isolation for specified work reasons)

After clause 27, insert:

27A Director-General may exempt COVID-19 case from requirement to remain at place of self-isolation for specified work reasons

(1)

The Director-General may, by Director-General notice, exempt any COVID-19 case or class of COVID-19 cases from the application of clause 9(2) while the COVID-19 case or a COVID-19 case of that class is undertaking work of a type specified in the notice or travelling to and from their place of self-isolation to undertake work of that type.

(2)

The Director-General may grant an exemption only if they are satisfied that—

(a)

the exemption is necessary or desirable to avoid temporary disruption of a business or service; and

(b)

temporary disruption of the business or service would cause significant economic, social, or physical harm to a community; and

(c)

the extent of the exemption is no broader than is reasonably necessary to address the matters that gave rise to the exemption; and

(d)

the risk of transmission of COVID-19 by the exempted COVID-19 case or cases can be appropriately managed.

(3)

The Director-General may impose conditions on the exemption as the Director-General considers necessary.

6 Clause 30 amended (Director-General may specify matters by notice)

(1)

Replace the heading to clause 30 with “What Director-General may do under this order by Director-General notice”.

(2)

In clause 30(1), replace “specify anything that this order says may be specified” with “do anything that this order says may be done”.

(3)

After clause 30(1)(c), insert:

(d)

exempting a COVID-19 case or class of COVID-19 cases from the application of clause 9(2) in accordance with clause 27A.

Dated at Wellington this 4th day of March 2022.

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.

This order amends the COVID-19 Public Health Response (Self-isolation Requirements and Permitted Work) Order 2022 (the principal order). It comes into force at 11.59 pm on 4 March 2022.

The amendments authorise the Director-General of Health to exempt COVID-19 cases who are self-isolating in accordance with the principal order from the requirement to remain at their place of self-isolation while undertaking work of a type specified by the Director-General or travelling to and from their place of self-isolation to undertake work of that type.

The Director-General may grant an exemption only if they are satisfied that—

  • the exemption is necessary or desirable to avoid temporary disruption of a business or service; and

  • temporary disruption of the relevant business or service would cause significant economic, social, or physical harm to a community; and

  • the extent of the exemption is no broader than is reasonably necessary to address the matters that gave rise to the exemption; and

  • the risk of transmission of COVID-19 by the exempted COVID-19 case or cases can be appropriately managed.

The amendments also authorise the Director-General to impose conditions on the exemption as the Director-General considers necessary.

Approval by resolution required

This order must be approved by 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 this does not happen, the order is revoked on the expiry of that period.

Issued under the authority of the Legislation Act 2019.

Date of notification in Gazette: 4 March 2022.

This order is administered by the Ministry of Health.