Managed Isolation Quarantine and the COVID-19 Protection Framework 

Kia ora koutou, 

Happy New Year to you all. We hope you have enjoyed the holiday season getting out and about with your friends and whānau and enjoyed all New Zealand has to offer. 

We are receiving heightened interest and questions on MIQ and thought the following update would be useful. 

Please have a read of the below as it covers International Travel updates and Community Updates. 

Sport NZ continues to work closely with MIQ, MBIE and the Minister to advocate for Sport opportunities and ensure the Minister is aware of the challenges our sector is facing.  We understand that changes to the rules and the uncertainty this is creating is stressful for you all.  We commit to keep you as updated as we can, as soon as we can. 

Finally, if you need help not covered by this update, please send questions relating to the COVID-19 Protection Framework to Covid19response@sportnz.org.nz, or it is related to International Travel then contact us at InternationalTravel@sportnz.org.nz or reach out to your Partnership Manager for help and support.  

Ngā mihi, 
Raelene 


Entering New Zealand 
The 3-step plan for travellers to enter New Zealand without going into managed isolation and quarantine has been delayed until at least the end of February 2022. 

MIQ is under pressure and capacity is extremely tight right now. This is due to the recent increase in the length of stay to 10 days, along with the high numbers of Omicron cases at the border. We expect that this pressure will continue and increase over the next month.  

This has created challenges for athletes and teams who had travelled or planned to travel and self-isolate in early 2022. As such we can confirm that there is no additional MIQ availability for these athletes or groups other than the opportunities outlined below.  

We are already in contact with many of you affected by these changes including those who have group allocations.   If you have any additional questions, please contact us at InternationalTravel@sportnz.org.nz.  

More information on the next steps and likely timeframes will be made available once decisions are made (not likely before mid-February).  

What does this mean?

Self-Isolation for sports teams on Hold
Prior to Christmas we were able to agree a proposal that enabled incoming international teams to enter NZ and train during self-isolation based on protocols set by the Ministry of Health.   

The implementation of this proposal was also delayed due to the delay of Phase 1 and 2 of reconnecting New Zealanders. There is no ability for sports teams to self-isolate on arrival at this time. 
 

Group bookings for Managed Isolation Quarantine on Hold
Sport NZ has been working with MIQ to confirm the availability of Group MIQ for March to May 2022. These allocations have been based on EOI applications submitted in October 2021. There has been no capacity to include new or additional MIQ requests. 

These requests are currently with Ministers for consideration; we will communicate with those affected once we have confirmation of the approvals.  

If you were planning to have visiting international teams and/or NZ Teams returning from international competitions with 20 plus people and don’t already have MIQ agreed through Sport NZ, unfortunately, this will not be possible to arrange.  

MIQ Lobby 
The MIQ Lobby remains the first place you should try to secure MIQ positions.   Although there are no planned room releases in the immediate future, please do familiarise yourself with the following information and always attempt to secure places via the Lobby (when available) before contacting us.    

Virtual lobby | Managed isolation and quarantine (miq.govt.nz)

Checklist – what to do well in advance of the lobby opening:

1. Create an account on the Managed Isolation Allocation System website and complete all your details. You only need 1 account per travelling group. 
2. Read the information below. 
3. Check the flight checker on the Managed Isolation Allocation System website.

Sport NZ MIQ allocation 
Sport NZ has been allocated up to 20 MIQ spots per month for individuals who meet the criteria and have been unable to secure an MIQ booking through the MIAS virtual lobby.  

Requests for MIQ allocations for March 2022 are due by 7 February 2022 using this form: Request MIQ from Sport Allocation - Request MIQ from Sport Allocation.

You may add requests for April, but please note that these are unlikely to be considered until March. These dates are fixed, and we are unable to accommodate any requests received after the deadline.  If you or your athletes wish to travel into New Zealand in March and would like to apply for a space, then your request must be received via the form above by 7 February 2022.  
 
Sport NZ requires travellers complete their MIQ profile, keep an eye out for announcements about MIQ releases, and apply via the lobby. One of the criteria for the allocation via Sport NZ is that applicants have previously tried to get MIQ through the lobby available here. The 20 allocated spaces are a back-stop and not a guaranteed solution.

Emergency allocations  
We have been managing a number of requests for support for travelling minors who had been hoping to self-isolate and are now no longer able to. In some situations these travellers may be eligible for an emergency allocation. Information on emergency allocations can be found here. 

COVID-19 Protection Framework FAQ
We hope that the guidance provided on this in the lead-up to Christmas has been helpful for you.  We are continuing to update our FAQs and have recently added the following FAQ regarding the use of My Vaccine Pass for U12’s. See full list of FAQs here.  

Are 5-11 year olds required to show a My Vaccine Pass? 

Children aged 5-11 years can now be vaccinated against COVID-19. They receive a children’s dose of the Pfizer vaccine, which is a lower dose provided at a smaller volume than the adult vaccine.   

While vaccination among this age group is encouraged, 5-11 year olds are not required to show or have My Vaccine Passes. They are still counted toward the capacity limit of an event or gathering, but do not contribute to the vaccination status of an event or gathering. This means unvaccinated 5-11 year olds at a My Vaccine Pass event or gathering do not make that event or gathering non-My Vaccine Pass.  

If you need more information about the COVID-19 vaccine for children the following information from the Ministry of Health can help you here.

Can our attendees use a negative COVID-19 test and come to an event or gathering where vaccine passes are used?

No – a negative COVID-19 test is not a substitute for vaccinations for events or gatherings under the CPF. If there are unvaccinated people at your event or gathering, then you must follow the rules and limits for where vaccine passes are not used.

Feedback to MBIE on the use of My Vaccine Pass 
We have been asked by MBIE to provide feedback on the use of My Vaccine Pass and the wider COVID-19 Protection Framework and they are keen to hear from groups and businesses who have been implementing these rules and processes. 

We already have a good sense of your challenges from our forums late last year and the queries we receive on an ongoing basis via the COVID-19 inbox.   

However if you would like to provide any additional specific feedback that could help inform our response then please do provide this by 5pm Friday 21 January, using this form: MVP Feedback Form.

This process is informal, and MBIE is largely seeking information on how stakeholders have experienced the introduction of MVPs and the CPF. This feedback will inform a briefing to Cabinet in early February.