Frequently Asked Question Bank

No.  Staff and parents are no longer required to be vaccinated to attend Playcentre sessions.

Vaccine mandates were removed for the education sector on 4 April. Requirements around My Vaccine Pass and scanning using COVID-19 QR codes have also be removed. 

Vaccine mandates will be removed for the education sector at 11:59pm on 4 April. Requirements around My Vaccine Pass and scanning using COVID-19 QR codes will also be removed. 

According to advice from the Ministry of Education, these are tools that were developed to fight COVID-19 and protect an unvaccinated population. New Zealand is now highly vaccinated and moving through the peak of the Omicron outbreak 

The government’s focus now is to make life simpler and closer to normal but retain the things that we know help to reduce the spread of COVID-19. These are masks, and when an outbreak is particularly severe, capacity limits indoors. 

The Government’s decision is based upon the assessment that the mandates are no longer proportionate to the current risks with the other safety measures that are in place. This decision recognises that a large proportion of the workforce is now fully vaccinated and boosted. This provides an additional layer of protection to staff, children, and wider community. Other measures such as hand washing and hygiene measures and mask wearing will continue to provide layers of protection.

Children are not required to wear face masks at Playcentre.

Playcentre Aotearoa encourages all adults on session with children including parents and caregivers attending infant programmes) wear a face mask indoors as we consider this to be an appropriate health and safety measure as part of our risk assessment and management plan.

At the Red setting, visitors (including parents and caregivers dropping off and picking up children) are required to wear face masks when indoors at Playcentre.  Playcentre Aotearoa recommends all adults on session also wear face masks whilst indoors at Playcentre.

At the Orange setting, visitors (including parents and caregivers dropping off and picking up children) are encouraged to wear face masks when indoors at Playcentre. 

Mask wearing is still reducing transmission rate by about 50%, according to COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins in an update to the education sector on 23 March.

We note that some people may have a face mask exemption due to a disability or health condition that makes wearing a face mask unsuitable.

Playcentre are not expected to provide face masks for children or adults at Playcentre.

Playcentre Aotearoa recommends that centres continue to follow public health measures, to help protect children, staff and volunteer workers from COVID-19. 

Public health measures include:

• If you are unwell, stay at home and get tested
• Adults are encouraged to wear face masks when indoors for any length of time
• Maintaining physical distancing
• Follow basic hygiene practices
• Ensure adequate ventilation

Yes. Visitors can attend Playcentre under all COVID-19 traffic light settings.  You may not restrict access based on vaccination status. Visitors are not required to provide you with their vaccine pass.

At the red setting, visitors (including parents and caregivers dropping off and picking up children) are legally required to wear face masks when coming indoors at Playcentre.

At the orange setting, there are no restrictions on number of visitors on site, but they should be included in a visitor register as is normal practice.

All visitors must continue to follow COVID-19 public health measures:

• If unwell, stay home and get tested
• Wear a face mask when indoors
• Sign in using the Discover app on the Playcentre tablet
• Maintain physical distancing

No.  Staff and parents are no longer required to be vaccinated to attend infant programmes (Space and Babies Can Play).

Vaccine mandates were removed for the education sector on 4 April. Requirements around My Vaccine Pass and scanning using COVID-19 QR codes have also be removed. 

No. Once the vaccine mandates are removed you will no longer have a specific legal requirement to ask for people’s vaccination status.

No.  Playcentre Aotearoa will no longer be requiring staff (paid or unpaid) to disclose their vaccination information now that vaccine mandates are being removed for the education sector at 11:59pm on 4 April.

Playcentre Aotearoa will ensure the information we have collected and handled about an employee or volunteer worker’s vaccination status is stored securely, in accordance with the Privacy Act. 

We will retain this information for 6 months after the withdrawal of the mandate and review this in October 2022.

No. All licensed early childhood services (ie. Playcentres) are prohibited from requiring proof of vaccination (either via My Vaccine Pass or other tools) as a condition of entry, use or access to education.

In general no. Now that the vaccine mandates have been removed there is no longer a specific legal requirement to ask for people’s vaccination status. Accordingly, requesting this would be the same as for any other private medical information.

You are prohibited from requiring proof of vaccination (either via My Vaccine Pass or other tools) from parents and caregivers as a condition of entry, use or access to education.

Under the COVID-19 Protection Framework, all licensed early childhood services are prohibited from requiring proof of vaccination (either via My Vaccine Pass or other tools) as a condition of entry, use or access to education.

It is important to consider the general right of entry set out Section 27 of the Education and Training Act 2020. This provision ensures that a parent or caregiver has the right to enter the premises of a licensed early childhood service when their child is attending, except in certain circumstances, including if they are suffering from a contagious or infectious disease likely to have a detrimental effect on the children if passed on to them.

If a parent or caregiver is exhibiting symptoms or is suffering from an infectious disease (regardless of their vaccination status), it would be reasonable to justify restricting their access to the premises (e.g. pick-up and drop-off in an outdoor area) until they are well again. This would also be consistent with the requirements of regulation 57 in the Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 and the licensing criteria (HS23 – home-based, HS26 – centre-based).

Following consultation and review of centre risk assessments submitted in May 2022, along with a further review of the Playcentre Aotearoa COVID-19 risk assessment, Playcentre Aotearoa’s COVID-19 Vaccination policy was revoked on Friday, the 10th of June 2022.

To ensure we are complying with all legal requirements and regulations, we reviewed our position and have taken legal advice and we can confirm that the outcome of the review is that there is insufficient justification for continuing the Playcentre Aotearoa COVID-19 vaccination policy as the risk of contracting and transmitting COVID-19 in the workplace (ie at Playcentre) is no higher than it is in the community.

The reasons for our decision include:

• Vaccination does not significantly reduce the transmission of the Omicron variant unlike the other variants.
• Omicron can still be contracted and transmitted by vaccinated people;
• The focus should be on the control measures that are less intrusive than vaccination and prevent vulnerable people being exposed to it such as using face coverings indoors, limiting numbers, ensuring physical distancing, ventilation and good hygiene practices.

The Playcentre Aotearoa COVID-19 risk assessment is the overarching risk assessment for all employees and volunteer workers. We have chosen to introduce further mitigations around mask-wearing within Playcentre which are beyond those specified in the COVID-19 protection framework.

The advice we issued in our COVID-19 Update 29 March 2022 remains current, specifically:

• The core public health measures we are all familiar with of staying home when sick, hand washing, and covering coughs and sneezes remain in place.
• Whenever possible spending more time outdoors and increasing ventilation indoors all contribute to the reduction of risk.

• In addition to the legal requirements for visitors to wear masks, we recommend that all adults wear masks while indoors at Playcentre as masks are known to reduce transmission of the virus by 53%.  

https://www.beehive.govt.nz/speech/post-peak-plan-safe-return-greater-normality

Playcentre Aotearoa still considers that vaccination is important and that it provides a great form of protection against COVID-19 and for those reasons we are adopting a ‘strongly encourage approach’ that all staff and volunteers should be fully vaccinated, including receiving boosters, if they can and are willing to do so.

The situation we face in 2022 is different from the one we faced in 2021. The nature of the threat from Covid19 has changed which means our response and management of COVID-19 as a workplace risk needs to change also. Our core objectives have always been to protect our tamariki, staff, whānau and the communities we serve and we remain committed to those objectives.

Centres no longer need to report this information as case numbers can now be drawn from the Ministry of Health data.

Staff or children and whānau at your service may be still required to isolate. If this is the case, public health officials will advise them what they need to do.

Please do not share anyone else’s information within your centre, community or on social media unless you are advised to do so by the Ministry of Health. Individual’s may share their own information.

For more information, please refer to the Ministry of Education’s website page titled early learning services connected to a confirmed case.

It may no longer be necessary for an early learning service to close automatically when a case has been identified as infectious while in attendance. Detailed guidance will be available from the Ministry of Education to support services to make this decision.

Ensure everyone signs in.  This includes all children, parents on the duty team, parents dropping off and picking up children, and any visitors.

Centre members to ensure that they have provided up to date contact details to the relevant person at their centre for contact tracing. 

The building will need to be cleaned and disinfected. Generally, the cleaning and disinfecting that occurs after a case of COVID-19 can be done with the same products that are usually used for cleaning and disinfecting (refer to Playcentre Aotearoa Policies and Procedures 9.10.2 Centre Covid-19 Cleaning Protocol).

Wait as long as possible (at least several hours) before you clean and disinfect. Open windows (where possible) to improve air flow/ventiilation. Wear appropriate PPE, i.e. masks and gloves and any other items the cleaning products you are using recommend that you use.

Contact the local public health unit or DHB IPC Service for further advice about what needs to be done. Read more about cleaning following a confirmed case of COVID-19.

If you are approached by the media, please ask them to email their questions through to Playcentre’s Communications Manager – [email protected].  Playcentre Aotearoa is managing all media enquiries on behalf of Centres. 

Financial support

There is financial support for people who need to stay at home due to COVID-19.

If your income has been affected

Money to help with urgent costs | workandincome.govt.nz

Wellbeing helplines and support

If you feel you are not coping, or you have concerns for others, it is important to talk with a health professional.

Find helplines to get support

Find services for when you need help, support, advice, or information about COVID-19.

COVID-19 support

If you are aware of any whānau self-isolating and who need additional support, we have included a list of the food providers and community connectors available in each region.
 
Food providers and community connectors – MSD

On 23 March 2022 the Prime Minister announced changes to the COVID-19 Protection Framework (red, orange and green traffic light system).

Please refer here for the most up to date information for ECE services

Red

• Mask wearing is not required by children. Masks will be required by Playcentre Aotearoa for staff and visitors (including parents) when indoors.
• Masks will not be required outdoors.
• Capacity limits will be removed for outdoor events and activities.
• Indoor capacity limits for extra-curricular activities increases to 200 people, or a maximum capacity on the maximum number of people who could occupy the space if each person was one metre apart (whichever is lower).

 Orange

• There will be no mask requirements when outdoors.
• There will be no outdoor capacity limits.
• Indoor capacity limits are also removed.

 Green

• There will be no face mask requirements and no capacity or gathering limits in any setting, indoors or outdoors.

If you have COVID-19, remember to check the COVID-19 isolation and care website page for updates.

You will need to isolate for at least 7 days while you recover. Your 7 days start from Day 0 — the day your symptoms started or the day you got tested, whichever came first.

When your 7 days of self-isolation ends

You do not need to wait for an official message to leave self-isolation. You may receive a text message confirming your self-isolation period has ended.

You do not need a negative RAT result to return to work or school.

If you are still sick

Some people can still be infectious after 7 days. If you are still sick at the end of your self-isolation period, stay home until you are well and for 24 hours after you no longer have symptoms.

Household Contacts

Your Household Contacts can complete their isolation at the same time as you, as long as their Day 7 test was negative, and they have no new or worsening symptoms.

If they test positive, they need to begin 7 days of isolation as someone with COVID-19.

If someone you live with gets COVID-19

You do not need to isolate as a Household Contact for 90 days from when you first tested positive if someone else in your household gets COVID-19 during this time.

More information on what to do if you have tested positive for COVID-19 is available on the Government’s covid19.govt.nz website.

Requirements around My Vaccine Pass and scanning using COVID-19 QR codes will be removed from 11.59pm on Monday 4 April.

The Ministry has confirmed that there is no requirement to display QR code posters (although centres are encouraged to retain them) or have other processes, other than your regular processes, to support people to check-in. This system may need to return if case numbers rise.

Please ensure everyone signs in on the Discover app on your centre tablet.  This includes all children, parents on the duty team, parents dropping off and picking up children, and any visitors.

Centre members must ensure that they have provided up to date contact details to the relevant person at their centre. 

Children are not required to wear face masks at Playcentre.

Playcentre Aotearoa encourages all adults on session with children (including parents and caregivers attending infant programmes) to wear a face mask indoors as we consider this to be an appropriate health and safety measure as part of our risk assessment and management plan.

At the Red setting, visitors (including parents and caregivers dropping off and picking up children) are required to wear face masks when indoors at Playcentre.  Playcentre Aotearoa recommends all adults on session also wear face masks whilst indoors at Playcentre.

At the Orange setting, visitors (including parents and caregivers dropping off and picking up children) are encouraged to wear face masks when indoors at Playcentre. 

Mask wearing is still reducing transmission rate by about 50%, according to COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins in an update to the education sector on 23 March.

We note that some people may have a face mask exemption due to a disability or health condition that makes wearing a face mask unsuitable.

Playcentre are not expected to provide face masks for children or adults at Playcentre.

 Physical distancing is not required in early learning services between staff and children. 

At each setting, visitors (including parents not on session) are encouraged to maintain 1m distancing from other adults if they are going on site.

Playcentre Aotearoa recommends that centres continue to follow public health measures, to help protect children, staff and volunteer workers from COVID-19. 

Public health measures include:

• If you are unwell, stay at home and get tested
• Adults are encouraged to wear face masks when indoors for any length of time
• Maintaining physical distancing
• Follow basic hygiene practices
• Ensure adequate ventilation

Basic hygiene measures include good hand hygiene, cough, and sneeze etiquette, avoid touching your face, and regular cleaning of high touch surfaces.  For more information see the cleaning section below.

Follow COVID-19 Protection Framework guidelines regarding shared kai/food including:

• Kai/food can be supplied in accordance with standard good hygiene practices and the following measures:
• Tamariki and adults should have separate food containers and should not give or take food to/from each other, i.e., centre prepared shared kai should be given to tamariki and adults on individual plates/containers,
• Shared Kai is allowable in Green Level of the COVID_19 Protection Framework.

Covid-19 has highlighted the need for good ventilation in all indoor spaces to help with reducing the spread of viruses and bacteria. The best way to ventilate your space is by opening windows and doors, unless the space has a ducted air conditioning system (this does not include heat pumps).

The Ministry of Education provides some good guidance here:

Ventilation in early childhood services | Te Mahau.

CO2 is generally highest when there is a gathering together of children and adults, i.e. mat time or kai time. It is a good idea to open the windows before or during these times to limit this happening. We do also realise that it is not feasible to have your windows and doors open all day and will send your heating bills through the roof in the middle of winter. It is often sufficient, unless you are unable to open windows/doors or have few to open, to open your windows and doors fully for approximately 10 minutes every hour.

If you believe your centre has insufficient ventilation please get in touch with your Regional Property Coordinator.

Please note – further to the information provided in the MOE Bulletin 12 May 2022, regarding purchasing CO2 monitors and air cleaners, we are working on a solution for Playcentres and individual centres do not need to take any action at this point. We will be providing more information in the coming weeks.

Information about funding settings under the new traffic light system, including absence rules, funding and parent requirements for absent children (EC12) can be found on the Ministry of Education website.

Funding settings under the new traffic light system – Te Mahau

Each centre has 10 discretionary days in each funding round.  This applies for the November, March and July funding periods (October 2021 to September 2022).

 If you have queries, please contact your Regional Funding Administrator.

It may no longer be necessary for an early learning service to close automatically when a case has been identified as infectious while in attendance. Detailed guidance will be available from the Ministry of Education to support services to make this decision. The public health measures in place in early learning services mean that approaches to case management can be refined to better reflect the infection risk.

Funding settings under the new traffic light system – Te Mahau

Due to the continued spread of COVID-19 and the anticipated spike in flu and RSV infections over winter services may use the EC12 form for children whose attendance is impacted by these viral infections. 

To access this exemption, an EC13 Form (Supporting Medical Certificate) is required. The EC13 form may be completed by the child’s parent or guardian if the child is: 

• unwell with COVID-19 
• unwell with a likely RSV infection or flu 
• vulnerable to respiratory illnesses 
• advised, by health authorities or a medical practitioner, to stay home due to illness in their household. 

For absences 4 weeks or more parents will need to complete a ‘statement of intention to return’ or ‘reconfirmation of enrolment to provide the evidence that a child has not permanently left the service. This must be in writing but could be in the form of an email or text message. You will need to keep a copy or record of this for audit purposes.  

You must not claim funding for children who have left your service. 

Parents and guardians will only be able to complete the EC13 form in place of a medical practitioner until 30 September 2022. 

If you have queries, please contact your Regional Funding Administrator.

The Frequent Absence rule will be reset on 1 June 2022 for all early learning services.   
 
This means June becomes ‘Month 1’ for the purposes of assessing a pattern of frequent absence. Previous patterns prior to 1 June 2022 can be disregarded. 

If you have queries, please contact your Regional Funding Administrator.

The Ministry of Education are introducing a Notional Roll scheme to help playgroups manage low attendance and sustainability while we are under the Red and Orange setting.

Where a playgroup has an average number of children attending that is less than the previous funding period average, this can be increased to the previous period’s average number of children attending for the 1 January to 30 June funding period.

If you have queries, please contact your Regional Funding Administrator.

https://temahau.govt.nz/covid-19/advice-early-learning-services/funding-settings-under-new-traffic-light-system

If a Centre is regularly hiring a Cleaner they should be on a contract. If a Centre doesn’t have a cleaner on contract and only hires occasionally then a Centre Member may clean for up to 10 hires in the previous 12 months and to be paid without having a contract. The conditions of this are that the Centre Member must present an invoice as per the template invoice provided but specifically with the words “I acknowledge that I am responsible for my own tax obligations in relation to this work”. A Centre Member is also required to follow the Cleaning Protocols that are provided.

If more than 10 cleans may be required in a year but the Centre Member wishes to clean regularly then the Cleaner Contract Template provided can be use.

Another way to look at Centre Members cleaning after a hire and not getting paid is to consider this as fundraising as the cleaning fee will then go to the Playcentre.

Invoice for cleaning http://www.playcentre.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Invoice-for-Cleaning-Template-1.docx

Playcentre Aotearoa basic contract template http://www.playcentre.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Playcentre-Aotearoa_Basic-Contract-for-services.docx

Cleaning means to physically remove germs (bacteria and viruses), dirt and grime from surfaces using a detergent and water solution. It is an essential first step in any disinfection process.

Disinfecting means using chemicals to kill germs on surfaces. It’s important to clean before disinfecting because dirt and grime can reduce the ability of disinfectants to kill germs. The disinfectant concentration and contact time are also critical for effective surface disinfection.

Gather your equipment such as cleaning and disinfecting agents, cleaning cloths and mops, and protective equipment to wear (eg, gloves) before you start cleaning.

Clean surfaces first with detergent and warm water. Anything labelled as a detergent will work. Disinfectants should only be used once the surface is fully cleaned because dirt and grime can reduce the effectiveness of a disinfectant to kill germs, including virus’s and bacteria.

Disinfectants come with instructions from the manufacturer describing how to safely use them. Make sure you give the disinfectant time to work – disinfectants require dwell time to be effective at killing germs. Dwell time is the amount of time the disinfectant should remain wet on a surface before drying. If no time is specified on the manufacturer’s directions, leave the disinfectant for ten minutes before drying the surface with a clean cloth.

When cleaning it is good to remember two general principles:

• top to bottom: start cleaning surfaces higher up and work your way to the floor. This method ensures that any particulates or debris fall to the floor which will be cleaned last
• clean to dirty: start cleaning with the cleanest surface first, progressively moving towards the dirtiest surface (eg, toilets).

When floors are cleaned, they should be left dry before walking on to reduce the risk of slips and falls.

You can use hypochlorite disinfectants (bleach), products that contain ≥ 70% alcohol, or products that state on the label that they have antiviral activity, meaning they can kill viruses.

If using bleach, mix with water following the dilution instructions provided by the manufacturer. Fresh bleach solution should be made every 24 hours. If the solution is not prepared and used as described in the instructions, it is unlikely to be effective.

Yes, some products can be used for both cleaning and disinfecting, which can save time and effort. If using these products, make sure that you read and follow the instructions on the label to ensure they work effectively.

Hospital grade disinfectants must meet government standards for use in health care settings. A household or commercial grade disinfectant must also meet government standards, but the testing is not as comprehensive as it is for hospital grade disinfectants and the standards to be met are lower. The label on the product will say if it is a hospital grade disinfectant.

Household or commercial grade disinfectants are suitable for use in places that are not health care settings

Any surfaces that are frequently touched should be prioritised for cleaning, such as door handles, light switches, horizontal surfaces including tables and counter tops, phones, EFTPOS machines, touch screens, and workplace amenities (such as toilets). Any surfaces that are visibly dirty should also be cleaned as soon as they are identified, regardless of when they were last cleaned.

Buildings that are accessed by the public should be cleaned at least every day. If your building has many customers or others entering each day, more frequent cleaning is recommended.

A frequently touched surface is a surface that is touched multiple times each day by the same person or different people. Door handles and push plates, light switches, handrails, taps, basins, toilets, kitchen benches, table tops, and rubbish bins are examples of frequently touched surfaces.

Know what chemicals you are handling. Read the product label before use, and make sure you understand the instructions and follow all recommendations. You may need to wear personal protection items.

Make sure you only use chemicals in well ventilated areas, as many release fumes that can irritate your eyes and lungs and cause nausea or headaches. Be especially careful when diluting concentrated cleaners. Be aware of potential irritation from the cleaning chemicals to passers-by.

Never mix different chemicals together, unless the product label explicitly tells you to do so. Some common cleaning chemicals react when combined to create toxic gas that can be fatal if inhaled.

For routine cleaning, you should wear appropriate gloves and any other protective items recommended by the manufacturer of the products you are using.

The building will need to be cleaned and disinfected as soon as possible. Generally, the cleaning and disinfecting that occurs after a case of COVID-19 can be done with the same products that are usually used for cleaning and disinfecting.

Follow your usual procedures for cleaning or laundering soft or porous materials like soft toys, carpet, rugs or seating.

You should avoid any cleaning methods that may spread the virus or create droplets, such as using pressurised water, pressurised air (including canned air cleaners), dry cloth and dusters.

Physically cleaning surfaces with detergent and warm water, followed by disinfection when needed, is the most effective way to kill virus’s and bacteria. Fumigation or wide-area spraying (known as ‘disinfectant fogging’) does not clean surfaces effectively and there is little evidence that it is effective at killing virus’s and bacteria. Additionally, if fogging is not done correctly, it can expose workers and others to hazardous chemicals.

A sanitiser is a chemical that is designed to kill some, but not all, bacteria and some viruses that can cause disease in humans or animals. These chemicals are not as strong as disinfectants, which makes them safe to use on skin. For example, provided your hands are not soiled, when you should wash your hands with soap and water, a hand sanitiser with ≥60% alcohol will kill the COVID-19 virus. If you’re disinfecting a hard surface or object use a disinfectant not a sanitiser.

Extreme heat will destroy virus’s and bacteria but is not recommended as a general disinfection method. Viruses are generally resistant to the cold and can remain viable if frozen.

Store-bought disinfectants meet government standards, so you know they will work. However, if you don’t have store bought disinfectant available, you can prepare a disinfecting solution using bleach and water. If using bleach, mix with water, following the dilution instructions provided by the manufacturer. Fresh bleach solution should be made every 24 hours. Do not use products such as vinegar, baking soda, essential oils, mouthwash or saline solution – these will not kill virus’s and bacteria.

Most disinfectants will kill both bacteria and viruses. To be called a disinfectant wipe or solution it must kill both bacteria and viruses. Antibacterial products are designed specifically to kill bacteria, however, COVID-19 is caused by a virus rather than by bacteria, so unless it has an antiviral claim, an antibacterial product may not be effective.

Detergent and warm water are suitable for cleaning surfaces and should be used prior to using a disinfectant.

For cleaning hands, regular soap and warm water, then thorough drying with a clean towel/paper towel is effective.

No. Disinfecting wipes are designed to be used on a single surface and then disposed in a rubbish bin (not flushed down the toilet). If you use a disinfecting wipe on multiple surfaces it will lose its effectiveness and may even transfer germs from one surface to another. If the product you are using is not a combined (2-in-1) cleaning and disinfecting wipe, clean the surface first.

Ensure you read and follow the directions that come with the disinfecting wipes.

At the red setting, face masks are required to be used indoors at Playcentre education workshops, including when workshops are held indoors on session (unless there is an exemption).

At orange and green settings, the use of face masks at Playcentre education workshops is encouraged but not required.