The Government has today introduced a range of operational changes to ensure those tested for coronavirus at New Zealand's border are adhering to new requirements.
It comes as all workers across air, maritime and managed isolation and quarantine (MIQ) have a requirement to have had a second round of testing for Covid-19 by 11.59 tonight.
A new law comes into effect tonight, meaning workers in MIQ are required to be tested every seven days from tomorrow.
Air and maritime workers are required to have testing every 14 days as per the new law.
Workers across all of the above industries and facilities can now be fined up to $1000 for refusing a test for no good reason.
The Ministry of Health announced the changes today in its daily press release on Covid-19 numbers.
"These changes reflect our evolving understanding of the health risks and how to further strengthen our efforts to keep Covid-19 out of New Zealand. This set of changes also gather all the requirements for managed isolation into a single Order regardless of the circumstances through which people might enter MIQ (through the air border, maritime border or Covid-19 community cases)," the MOH statement said.
"The maritime border changes strengthen requirements for testing, isolation and quarantine of arriving crew.
"They also introduce infringement offences under the Covid-19 Act. The Required Testing Order enables the introduction of ongoing, routine, mandatory Covid-19 testing for all border workers," the statement said.
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