MoE Update – 18 August 2021
Information supplied from Ministry of Education on 18 August 2021.
| New Zealand is in Alert Level 4 |
Message from the Secretary for EducationKia ora koutou, Connecting with families and whānau is so important when children are away from their usual activities. I hope you have had the opportunity to start that today. Alert Level 4 is different this time. The extremely contagious nature of the Delta variant and the intention to stamp it out does mean that Health advice is very cautious. Having noted that the Delta variant is more contagious between people, it does not behave any differently on hard surfaces and therefore going into early learning sites when alert levels allow is fine. We have to balance the new risks of the Delta Variant with not getting people so fearful that they never want their children to go back into early learning and childcare services. We know, from the modelling that many more cases of the Delta variant will be identified before we get out of this, and this will add to fears. As you will know, the important thing is to connect cases and get to the source. Health officials are working overtime to do that! Thank you all for your quick work as we respond to the latest changes in COVID-19 alert levels. I want to acknowledge the pressure that moving into Alert Level 4 put on many of you, your communities and their livelihoods. He waka eke noa – we’re all in this together. As expected, we’ve been fielding a variety of questions and we’ve endeavoured to answer some of them in the bulletin today. We will continue to provide updates in the coming days. Kia kaha |
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In today’s bulletin:
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New face covering requirementsFrom 11.59pm tonight, it becomes mandatory to wear a face covering when visiting essential businesses and services that are open in Alert Level 4 (e.g. pharmacy, supermarket, health services). It is also a requirement for staff to wear a face covering. The exemption remains in place for Under 12s who are not required to wear a face covering. |
Locations of interest – rapidly growingWith new cases announced today – at time of writing, seven cases in total – the number of locations of interest will continue to grow. For those in Auckland and the Coromandel Peninsula, please encourage your community to keep checking the list on the Ministry of Health website. COVID-19: Contact tracing location of interest – Ministry of Health website |
COVID information for Pacific communitiesKey information on COVID-19 is available in nine Pacific languages on the Ministry for Pacific Peoples website. Translated COVID-19 Information – Ministry for Pacific Peoples website |
10 things you need to know about Alert Level 4
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Accessing premisesWhile New Zealand is in Alert Level 4, all early learning services and kōhanga reo are considered non-essential services and should be closed. There should be no visits to services to do work, cleaning, organising etc. as these are deemed non-essential. There are some circumstances where a visit to a service might be necessary such as feeding and caring for the animals at the service to ensure they stay safe and healthy. You will not need written permission to make visits to feed animals but please exercise caution in doing so and follow the physical distancing and hygiene rules. |
Childcare services for essential workersPlease note that care in the child’s own home (eg nanny arrangements) can continue for essential workers so long as the guidance around bubbles is followed. This means the carer and their family members cannot have contact with any other people from outside the two bubbles. At this stage the essential worker childcare scheme that operated last Alert Level 4 is not operating. However, we have been in contact with licensed homebased providers involved previously to seek their availability and capacity to provide childcare for essential service workers should this change. The Ministry welcomes contact from other licensed homebased providers. They can contact the Ministry via [email protected]. The Government must approve the essential worker childcare scheme, via a Health Order, before the scheme can be activated. |
Agencies you can contact for assistanceMany families may find it tough going back into Alert Level 4. It can be challenging having children at home, being cut off from family and friends, trying to making ends meet and have high stress levels.
Work and Income services centres are closed. However, you can apply for assistance via MyMSD or phone the contact centre on 0800 559 009.
If you’re in Auckland, the Auckland Emergency Management website may be useful. Auckland Emergency Management website |