It has been great to see several days with no new community cases. However, as Dr Bloomfield has clearly stated, new cases are still possible and we need to continue to act with caution and do the right thing to keep our community safe.
With new variants and changed requirements for contacts of cases, New Zealand’s COVID response seems to be more complex and sometimes it isn’t clear what “the right thing” actually is.
The basics still work
We have a large amount of control over how we can prevent the spread of COVID-19. Even with the new variants of the virus, the most important things we can do remain the same:
For our school we will:
- display QR code posters for the NZ COVID Tracer app
- keep our visitor register, attendance register and timetables up to date to help with contact tracing if needed
- be monitoring for illness and asking anyone who is unwell to remain at home, or to go home
- encourage people with relevant symptoms to seek medical advice through Healthline (0800 358 5453) or their GP and get tested for COVID if recommended to do so
- reinforce the importance of good hand washing and drying
- reinforce good cough and sneeze etiquette
- clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces regularly
Your whānau will also have good practices to follow to keep yourselves safe:
- check in using the NZ COVID Tracer app everywhere you go (the sooner you get notified that you were at a location of interest, the easier it will be to keep yourself and your whānau safe)
- switch on the Bluetooth function on the app (go to the dashboard in the app to do this)
- always stay home if you are unwell and seek advice from Healthline (0800 358 5453) or your GP
- get tested if recommended to do so. Testing is free to everyone in New Zealand!
- wash and dry hands thoroughly and frequently
- practise good cough and sneeze etiquette
- regularly clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces in your home
- wear face coverings on public transport
- for those of you who think you might have been at a location of interest at the specified time, follow the instructions on the Ministry of Health website or if you are unsure what to do, contact Healthline (0800 358 5453) for advice about getting tested
Get your information from good sources
- The Ministry of Education provides us with specific advice for what needs to happen in schools and early learning services. Some of the rules are different for schools, early learning services and workplaces than the rules you need to follow when we are out and about with people you don’t know. The main one is we have different physical distancing requirements than the general public. That is because we have good systems in place to prevent spread of COVID.
- The Ministry of Education also has information for parents, caregivers and whānau.
- The Government’s Unite against COVID-19 website is the main website to go to get great advice.
Āraia te kino and protect yourself, your whānau and your whakapapa.
Ngā mihi
Peter Kaiser
