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ALDEN WILLIAMS / Stuff
Cabin crews on domestic flights transferring passengers to managed isolation facilities will be tested as part of the existing border staff testing regime due to proximity to international travelers.
The crews of domestic flights that transfer passengers to managed isolation facilities will be subject to Covid-19 testing to reduce the risk of spreading the virus.
The requirement is one of a series of new strict rules for aircrew that take effect at midnight Sunday.
Health Minister Chris Hipkins said the measures add to the defense against Covid-19 entering New Zealand.
“The air border is a complex ecosystem and we have made sure to take sufficient time to work with a variety of stakeholders to implement this robust and viable security regime,” said Hipkins.
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Hipkins said that under the new rules, cabin crew on domestic flights transferring passengers to managed isolation facilities will be tested due to proximity to international travelers.
Previously, there was no requirement for the crew to isolate themselves after flights and they could continue to operate scheduled scheduled flights immediately thereafter.
Those flights raised the concern of an Air New Zealand crew member, who feared it would only be a matter of time before a flight attendant detected a passenger’s Covid-19 and it became a source of community transmission.
Other new rules include foreign-based aircrew in New Zealand being required to stay in a government-run isolation facility for as long as they are in the country.
All overseas-based aircrew will be required to wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) while at New Zealand airports and traveling between the airport and your hotel.
All New Zealand-based aircrews must wear PPE on all flights and isolate themselves with other crew members during overseas stopovers.
New Zealand-based crew returning to New Zealand from high-risk locations abroad will need to self-isolate for at least 48 hours after their return, and until they are assessed as low risk for Covid-19, including receiving a negative result. proof.
The airlines have been given two weeks to get their processes up and running, Hipkins said.
Additionally, weekly surveillance tests will begin on October 19 for some lower-risk international aircrews based in New Zealand.
Overseas-based aircrew who only have stopovers on the air side (meaning they do not leave the secure part of the terminal) do not have to go into managed isolation, as long as they wear masks and maintain a physical distance from others in the terminal.
New Zealand-based aircrew are treated differently from overseas-based aircrew because New Zealand-based aircrew spend only a short time abroad, wear PPE in flight, and have strict controls on where they can go while on the ground to avoid interaction with others, Hipkins said.
“This means that they have a very low risk of being exposed to Covid-19.”
The additional measures are part of a Covid-19 Public Health Response 2020 Amendment Order (Air Border, Isolation and Quarantine and Required Testing).
Hipkins said that due to the new protections, the risk of the spread of Covid-19 was low.
”Reviews and audits have shown high levels of compliance. No cases of Covid-19 have been identified to or from the aircrew since the guidance was first introduced in April. “
