This order amends the COVID-19 Public Health Response (Protection Framework) Order 2021 (the principal order). Part 4 and the Schedule of this order come into force at 11.59 pm on 14 December 2021. The rest of this order comes into force at 11.59 pm on 12 December 2021.

The main purpose of the amendments is to set new rules for travelling out of the extended Auckland area. The order does this by activating new COVID-19 provisions on and from 11.59 pm on 14 December 2021 (see Part 1 of the Schedule of this order). On and from that time,—

• most of the restrictions in the principal order on travel into the extended Auckland area will no longer apply:

• people in the extended Auckland area, including people who travel into that area, will be subject to rules before they can cross the boundary to go out of that area:

• people can travel out of the extended Auckland area if—

  • they are CVC compliant; or

  • they carry evidence of a negative result from a COVID-19 test administered no more than 72 hours before their journey began; or

  • they are travelling into, through, and out of the extended Auckland area without stopping; or

  • they are travelling for certain specified purposes and meet certain specified travel conditions (see Part 2 of the Schedule of this order):

• most people boarding a public transport service in the extended Auckland area on a route that ends out of that area will need to carry their CVC or evidence of a negative result from a COVID-19 test administered no more than 72 hours before their journey began, and produce their CVC or that evidence if asked to do so by the public transport operator or the public transport operator’s representative. The requirement applies only to a person who is travelling out of the extended Auckland area in reliance on new clause 90A or 90B. If they do not produce their CVC or that evidence they may be denied access to the service (see new clause 98A, amendments to clauses 31 and 32, and Part 1 of the Schedule of this order):

• rules applying under clauses 99 and 100 remain for some businesses and services.

This order makes other amendments to the principal order that come into force at the earlier time of 11.59 pm on 12 December 2021, including—

• amending the definition of close-proximity business or service to ensure that OSCAR programmes delivered at premises other than the premises of a registered school are within that definition, and education entities are not:

• correcting the definition of licensed early childhood service:

• amending clauses 27 and 28 consequent on certain OSCAR programmes being included in the definition of close-proximity business or service, to remove a conflict between those clauses and clauses 31 and 32. Clauses 31 and 32 would prevail, so that persons under clause 31(2)(a) who were seeking access to education services at the premises of the OSCAR programme could not be denied entry, or access to the services, on vaccination grounds:

• amending clause 89 and inserting new clauses 90A, 90B, 92A, 92B, and 98A in anticipation of the new rules relating to travel out of the extended Auckland area that apply on and from 11.59 pm on 14 December 2021:

• amending Schedule 3 so that the cross-boundary travel purposes listed in that schedule are more in line with those under earlier alert level orders.

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.