Auckland COVID border travel register open

Essential Businesses can now apply for permission to cross the Auckland COVID border when the rest of the country moves to Alert Level 3 from 11.59pm tonight. Businesses with workers needing to cross the boundary can apply for Business Travel Documents if they meet the criteria for permitted travel. A worker may only cross the Alert Level Boundary if that travel is legally permitted for that Alert Level shift, or if they have a current travel exemption granted by the Director-General of Health. Travel documents which were issued when the register has previously been activated will no longer be valid and businesses will need to re-apply for them. The eligible business categories, types of travel permitted and link to start an application through Business Connect are available on the business.govt.nz website. The boundary between regions in different Alert Levels can be found on the Unite Against COVID-19 website. Because public health and protecting communities from the spread of the COVID-19 Delta variant is the top priority, it is expected granting of exemptions will be very limited. Exemption applications will not be processed until a Health Order is in place. When travelling, workers should have a printed copy of their Business Travel Documents, or an electronic copy available on their smartphone so police can verify the document to make travel across the Alert Level Boundary as quick as possible.