Expressions of Interest(EOI) under the Self-Isolation Pilot announced by Govt recently will open at 9am on Thursday, 30 September.
According to the details made available today, EOI will remain open until 5pm on Saturday, 9 October.
Applicants will be advised by Friday 15 October if they have been selected to participate in the pilot, and arrival dates for participants is from 30 October to 8 December 2021.
Final approval is subject to participants providing verification information and a self-isolation plan.
The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment(MBIE) will administer the pilot and is a key-step in ‘Reconnecting New Zealanders and safely re-opening borders.
The pilot is for up to 150 participants and is aimed at business travellers who must have a requirement to travel internationally for business purposes (this includes sole traders), arriving back in Christchurch or Auckland from 30 October to 8 December 2021.
Participants are required to be New Zealand citizens or holders of a resident visa with a right to re-enter New Zealand, be fully vaccinated in New Zealand with the Pfizer vaccine, and not travel to, or through very high-risk countries.
Countries currently designated as ‘very high risk’ are: Brazil, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Pakistan and Papua New Guinea.
Travellers to New Zealand from very high risk countries are temporarily restricted to New Zealand citizens, partners/dependent children of NZ citizens, or parents of dependent children who are NZ citizens, etc.
Pilot participants will be required to self-isolate in approved accommodation for 14 days on their return to New Zealand. Participants must isolate alone or with members of the same travelling party, in a private dwelling with no shared ventilation system. The dwelling must have cellular coverage and be within 50km radius (by road) for Christchurch International Airport or be within a 50km radius (by road) of Auckland International Airport and within the boundary of Auckland Council. Monitoring and testing over the self-isolation period will be mandatory.
Employers will need to submit an EOI on behalf of their employees.
Participants or employers will need to pay for their own accommodation, if rental property is being used, their food and other personal costs. A fee of $1,000 (incl. GST) per participant will also be payable for transport and other associated pilot costs.
If participants need to enter MIQ because they fail to comply with self-isolation protocols, they will be liable for MIQ fees.
Employers will be expected to take all reasonable steps to ensure their employees comply with self-isolation requirements if accepted into the pilot.
– from NewsViews
