COVID-19 Maritime Industry Update 96 - 20 December 2021 This guideline is for the maritime industry and port supply chain
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COVID-19 Maritime Industry Update 96 20 December 2021 This guideline is for the maritime industry and port supply chain COVID-19 Maritime industry update 96 Page 1 of 10
COVID-19 Maritime
Industry Update 96
Last updated: 20 December 2021
This document is uncontrolled if printed. Please refer to the Maritime New Zealand website for the latest version.
In this guide
1. Season’s greetings from Maritime NZ 3
2. Ministry of Health Exemptions for foreign vessels paused
over the holidays 4
3. Contact tracing for business 5
4. Vaccinations at the maritime border 6
5. Health guidance for the holidays 7
6. Answering your questions 9
7. Key sources of information 10
COVID-19 Maritime industry update 96 Page 2 of 101. Season’s greetings from Maritime NZ
This is the last of the COVID-19 Maritime Industry Updates for 2021 and we would like to
thank you for your tuning in every second Monday to follow us.
2021 has been another challenging and uncertain year, especially for our friends in Auckland. We hope
-
you have fun in the weeks ahead and enjoy your time with whanau and friends and taking some time off.
We will send out our next issue in the week beginning 24 January 2022, however please don’t hesitate to
contact us on the email below if you want to raise anything.
Please take care over the holiday break and follow the holiday guidelines in the pages to follow to keep
safe over summer.
From everyone at Maritime NZ, we wish you a safe and enjoyable break and we look forward to catching
up again in 2022.
The Maritime Industry Update is issued fortnightly, usually on a Monday. However, publication
days might change when there is a need to provide a quick update.
If you have any questions about updates, or suggestions for what you would like included, please
contact Maritime NZ by emailing MNZCovid-19@maritimenz.govt.nz.
COVID-19 Maritime industry update 96 Page 3 of 102. Ministry of Health Exemptions for
foreign vessels paused over the
holidays
The Ministry of Health’s exemption team will be clearing any backlog and taking a break
until 10/1/2022 and are not processing any new foreign vessel exemptions over that time.
Exemptions usually granted for reasons such as refit and repair, re-provisioning and refuelling, delivering a
ship to a business, or for humanitarian reasons, will not be processed until the New Year.
For any urgent issues, please contact Maritime NZ and we will contact the Ministry of Health if any
emergency exemption applications have to be made. The criteria for an emergency application is very
high.
Please note that a change has been made to the Maritime Border Order for foreign vessels in distress.
Foreign ships will not need an exemption from the Ministry of Health if the master of the ship is:
• satisfied that the ship is in distress
• satisfied that it is necessary for the ship to arrive in New Zealand in order to preserve human life
• satisfied the ship requires critical safety repairs,
or, a medical officer of health is satisfied that a person on board the ship requires urgent medical care in
New Zealand.
COVID-19 Maritime industry update 96 Page 4 of 103. Contact tracing for business While no COVID-19 cases have come through the port into the community yet, all businesses should be prepared should an employee or customer be confirmed as having COVID-19. If an employee or public health official notifies you that a staff member has COVID-19, you should inform any Health and Safety Managers and/or Occupational Health Managers within the organisation and they can liaise with public health officials. Isolate any spaces that the staff member may have spent time in and ensure cleaning is undertaken before they are used again. Public health officials will carry out contact tracing to determine exposure to employees, customers and visitors and advise what action needs to be taken. Visit the Ministry of Health’s website for further detail on the process to follow in the event your workplace and employees have had exposure to someone with COVID-19. We continue to work with our government partners to add clarification on steps to take in the event of a positive case or close contact appearing in your workplace, that achieves safe outcomes without unduly disrupting business. COVID-19 Maritime industry update 96 Page 5 of 10
4. Vaccinations at the maritime border Maritime NZ along with its government partners have been working behind the scenes to assist foreign seafarers to get vaccinated and determine what’s required to verify their vaccination status before crew depart their vessel. Around 50% of international seafarers are now vaccinated and this number is growing as more countries offer vaccinations. While the risk of COVID-19 coming through the ports is considered low due to the protections in place, the risk of supply chain disruptions can be high. At this stage New Zealand does not require seafarer vaccination as a condition of entry but work is underway to offer vaccinations to seafarers arriving at the border from early 2022. Maritime NZ along with other government agencies, will work with ports, shipping operators and Public Health Units to offer vaccinations to seafarers where practical. We will provide an update on seafarer vaccinations in the New Year as well as information to help visiting seafarers gain the necessary documentation to enter the community. COVID-19 Maritime industry update 96 Page 6 of 10
5. Health guidance for the holidays
It is good to see that most of the country will reach the orange traffic light setting before the
end of the year.
With the next review of the traffic light settings on 17 January 2022, we can now begin to plan our time
off and familiarise ourselves with how to respond should our plans need to shift quickly. The Omicron
variant has now arrived in the country which may result in some changes.
Get tested
If you become unwell, whether at home or travelling, contact Healthline on 0800 358 5453 and find out
where you can get tested. Testing facilities will be open throughout Christmas, New Year and the holiday
period. Do not wait until you get home before you get tested and isolate yourself until you receive your
test result. If you test positive, a health official will be in touch and provide advice on next steps.
Do the basics
Wear a mask when out and about, scan everywhere you go and have your Vaccine Pass ready either on
your phone or as a paper copy should your battery run out.
It’s easy to forget the messages that have been with us from the beginning, but they are now more
important than ever, so:
• Wash and dry your hands with soap and water or hand sanitiser.
• Remember to cough or sneeze into your elbow.
• Clean ‘high touch’ surfaces and objects regularly.
• Maintain social distancing when out and about, especially in crowded places.
Leaving or entering Auckland?
There are no changes to the Auckland boundary from previous announcements. Until 17 January 2022,
everyone can travel out of or into Auckland as long as they are fully vaccinated and can show their
vaccine pass, or have evidence of a negative COVID-19 test received within 72 hours of crossing the
boundary.
Be prepared for things to change and have backup plans in place should the Covid Protection
Framework setting (traffic lights) change.
Rapid Antigen Testing
Free Rapid Antigen Testing is now available for unvaccinated, asymptomatic travellers crossing the
boundary. This test is quick and results are available soon after the test is taken. Supervised Rapid
Antigen Testing is available through a number of pharmacies throughout the country, however if you are
symptomatic, you will need to stay home and get a PCR test.
COVID-19 Maritime industry update 96 Page 7 of 105. Health guidance for the holidays (continued) The evidence to be shown at the boundary or when boarding most flights or Cook Strait ferries, will look like the image below. Please ensure this is the evidence you receive. COVID-19 Maritime industry update 96 Page 8 of 10
6. Answering your questions There are a huge number of stakeholders in the maritime industry and ports’ supply chain, and all of you are affected in different ways by COVID-19 and New Zealand’s response to it. If you have questions you would like answered, please email MNZCovid-19@maritimenz.govt.nz by 5pm, Friday each week. COVID-19 Maritime industry update 96 Page 9 of 10
7. Key sources of information
The following links provide you with key sources of information.
For all your questions, and to provide information MNZCovid-19@maritimenz.govt.nz
and make suggestions – email Maritime NZ
Port and maritime guidelines and other information www.maritimenz.govt.nz – click on the COVID-19
banner on the home page
Official health advice, including testing – Ministry of www.health.govt.nz/
Health
Up-to-date information across the transport sector www.transport.govt.nz/about/covid-19/
(land, sea and air) – Ministry of Transport
All New Zealand COVID-19 legislation www.pco.govt.nz/covid-19-legislation/
New Zealand’s campaign to stamp out COVID-19 www.covid19.govt.nz
Information for businesses operating under alert www.business.govt.nz/covid-19/operating-at-alert-
levels levels/
Wage Subsidy Scheme information www.workandincome.govt.nz/covid-
19/resurgence-wage-subsidy/index.html
Managed Isolation and Quarantine www.miq.govt.nz/
COVID-19 Maritime industry update 96 Page 10 of 10You can also read
