News article
As of 16 May, if a worker subject to the Vaccinations Order tests positive for COVID-19 for the first time, then their employer can provide the temporary medical exemption from receiving a COVID-19 vaccine booster.
This new process is for employers who have mandated workers who have recently recovered from or tested positive for COVID-19 and are therefore eligible for a temporary medical exemption.
Now, the employer recognises and administer their workers’ exemption from vaccination for 100 days on the verification of a positive COVID-19 test.
To verify a positive COVID-19 test, an employer can view:
- a screen shot of a My Covid Record that displays the PCR or uploaded Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) result,
- a hard copy of a laboratory report,
- or a text notification of the positive test result.
The employer must confirm in writing the exemption details to the affected worker. This includes the start and end dates of the exemption. The start date is date of the positive test.
The confirmation of the exemption can be made by the owner, chief executive or equivalent. They may also delegate this to a senior person within the business unit or service, such as HR manager.
The employer is required to provide Ministry of Health total numbers of exempted workers on a quarterly basis (20 January, 20 April, 20 July, 20 October). This information should be emailed to [email protected].
Only one exemption can be recognised by a business unit or service for an affected worker. If a worker subsequently tests positive for COVID-19 illness after recovery from the first illness, that worker will need to apply again to the Ministry of Health via a medical or nurse practitioner.