Health guidance and COVID-19 information

• It is recommended that crew and passengers should monitor carefully for symptoms of COVID-19, influenza and other respiratory viruses and if symptoms develop, people should be tested.
• People testing positive for COVID-19 are recommended to self-isolate for 5 days.
• If the positive case needs to leave their cabin or quarters during their 5-day isolation period they should wear a mask, practice good hand hygiene, and avoid crowded spaces. They should avoid contact with other passengers as they are likely to be infectious. If they leave the ship they should not visit a healthcare facility (except to access medical care), or an aged residential care facility.
• As some people remain infectious for up to 10 days, we recommend that the positive case wear a mask up until 10 days after their symptoms started or they tested positive. They should also minimise contact with anyone at risk of getting very unwell with COVID-19 such as elderly passengers.
• The ship remains the primary place for a maritime arrival to isolate if they are COVID-positive. 
• Vessels are expected to provide ready access to hand sanitation, masks, appropriate testing equipment, and support for passengers and crew with communicable diseases.

Household contacts of COVID-19 are recommended to do a Rapid Antigen Test every day for 5 days after becoming a household contact. You are a household contact if you live with or have spent a night or day (more than 8 hours) with someone who tests positive for COVID-19. 

On a cruise ship, a household contact is anyone who has shared a cabin with anyone else who has tested positive, while they are likely to have been infectious. On all other types of vessels, everyone on board is considered a household contact.

• Daily SITREPs are required from cruise vessels that are travelling in New Zealand waters and have COVID-19 cases on board.
• Further information about the SITREP requirement, including the form, can be found on our Cruise Ship page.