From 11:59pm tonight (2 May), an amendment order removes the requirement for people currently permitted to arrive via the maritime border to do so without needing to quarantine or isolate for 7 days.
Crew scheduled to disembark their ship will need to undergo a COVID-19/Rapid Antigen Test before disembarking. This test will be referred to as Day 0/1 test.
If the crew member is still in the community or is planning to disembark the ship again more than 120 hours after their first test, they will be required to complete a second test (a Day 5/6 test).
In some instances, maritime crew may still be required to isolate on board a ship: For example, if they test positive for COVID-19, or if they are considered a ‘household contact’ of a positive case.
The change has been introduced to help bring the rules for the maritime border into closer alignment with the air border rules.
This amendment does not open the maritime border to any new groups of people, or classes of vessel, such as cruise ships.
