This order amends the COVID-19 Public Health Response (Isolation and Quarantine) Order 2020 (the Isolation and Quarantine Order). It comes into force at 11.59 pm on 7 November 2021.

The effect of the amendments is to enable the chief executive of the Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment to end a person’s period of isolation or quarantine early if—

• the person arrived in New Zealand by air from Samoa, Tokelau, Tonga, or Vanuatu before 11.59 pm on 7  November 2021, which is when those countries become QFT places under the COVID-19 Public Health Response (Air Border) Order (No 2) 2020 (the Air Border Order); and

• the chief executive is satisfied that—

  • the person has not been in any country other than New Zealand, Samoa, Tokelau, Tonga, or Vanuatu during the period of 14 days before this order comes into force (this requirement is similar to the QFT prerequisite in clause 3 of Schedule 2 of the Air Border Order); and

  • the person meets the low-risk indicators, as defined in clause 4(1) of the Isolation and Quarantine Order.

This order must be approved by a resolution of the House of Representatives before the end of the period described in section 16(2) of the Act. If that does not happen, the order is revoked at the end of that period.