Wellington, October 28, 2021
Key things to note
There are 37 people currently in hospitals across New Zealand with Covid-19. All are in the Auckland region. Five are in high dependency or intensive care units.
There are 89 new community cases; 83 in Auckland, four in the Waikato and 2 in Christchurch. There are 7 new cases at the border.
Changes to MIQ stays.
Rent relief measures for tenants and landlords.
One way quarantine-free travel opening to additional Pacific nations.
Law change recognises overseas vaccinations for border workers.
Progress on Vaccine Rates.
New funding to support Vaccine uptake in ethnic communities.
New tool launched to support disabled people to be vaccinated.
Waikato moves to Alert Level 3, Step 1.
For more information on all of these key points, visit Unite Against COVID-19 and the resources listed at the bottom of this email.
Changes to MIQ stays
People arriving to New Zealand from overseas will soon only need to isolate in an MIQ facility for seven days, followed by a three-day self-isolation at their place of residence.
Testing requirements for new arrivals are also changing – people in MIQ will need tests on days zero, three, and six, as well as a PCR test on their second day in self-isolation.
They will only be able to leave self-isolation once they have received a negative test result.
The new policy comes into force on November 14, 2021 and will apply to any traveller not arriving through a quarantine-free travel pathway.
The second stage of the plan will see New Zealand moving towards having more vaccinated people able to self-isolate at home instead of in MIQ.
Rent relief measures for tenants and landlords
A package of changes to improve rent relief measures for both landlords and commercial tenants hit by Covid-19 restrictions has been announced.
The measures will offer more support, particularly for small to medium sized businesses hit hard by Covid-19 restrictions.
The changes are being introduced to Parliament as part of the Covid-19 Response (Management Measures) Legislation Bill.
The new provisions will only apply to leases which do not already provide for adjusted rent payment terms during an epidemic emergency.
More information on the Bill is available on the Parliament website.
One way quarantine-free travel to more Pacific nations
Travellers from Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu and Tokelau will soon be able to travel to New Zealand without the need to quarantine on arrival.
The update applies from November 8, 2021 and is only for travellers who have the right to reside permanently in New Zealand or who are covered by a border exception.
Everyone except RSE workers travelling under this policy must be fully vaccinated. RSE workers must have received at least one dose of vaccination and need to be fully vaccinated from January 1, 2022. Travellers arriving under this policy do not need to provide evidence of a negative Covid-19 test prior to arrival.
Law change recognises overseas vaccinations for border workers
The law around vaccinations for border workers has been updated. Border workers who have received a full course of Moderna, AstraZeneca or Janssen overseas will now be recognised as fully vaccinated in New Zealand.
Any border worker who has only had one dose of Pfizer, Moderna or AstraZeneca Vaccines (all of which require two-doses to reach full immunity) will need to have a further single dose of the Pfizer Covid-19 Vaccine in New Zealand to qualify.
The change aligns current regulations with Medsafe’s provisional approval of two of these other Vaccines (Janssen and AstraZeneca).
Progress on Vaccine Rates
High Vaccine Rates will allow New Zealand to transition to the new COVID-19 Protection Framework.
Auckland needs 90% of eligible people in each of its three DHBs to be fully vaccinated before transitioning. As of Wednesday 27 October:
Waitemata DHB – 78% fully vaccinated
Auckland DHB – 82% fully vaccinated
Counties Manukau DHB – 75% fully vaccinated
90% of the total eligible population in Auckland have received their first dose (all DHBs combined).
72% of eligible people in New Zealand are fully vaccinated.
50% of the total eligible Maori population are fully vaccinated.
66% of the total eligible Pacific population are fully vaccinated.
Breakdowns by DHB are available on the Ministry of Health website.
New funding to support Vaccine
A new Vaccine Uptake Fund of $1 million has been announced to support Covid-19 vaccination among ethnic communities.
The Fund will pay for activities ethnic communities have said are needed to help increase Vaccine Rates, including transport, interpreters, collateral and venue hire.
This will be additional to the Ethnic Communities Communications Fund, which has been doubled to support further translation and education services related to vaccinations.
Community organisations and individuals can apply for funding now at the Ministry for Ethnic Communities website
New tool launched to support the disabled
A new tool that supports disabled people to get vaccinated has been launched.
The Manaakitanga Journey is a graphic online tool that packages up key information from the Unite Against Covid-19 website, such as how to book New Zealand Sign Language interpreters at clinics, and how to arrange transport to and from vaccination appointments.
As of October 27, 2021, 82% of the 30,522 people supported by the Ministry of Health’s Disability Supports Services had their first dose and 67% were fully vaccinated.
The Unite Against Covid-19 website has been updated. It will contain information specifically for disabled people, such as a list of accessible vaccination centres near them, information on arranging transport, and information in alternative formats.
Waikato moves to Alert Level 3, Step 1
From 11.59 pm last night, people in parts of Waikato moved to Alert Level 3 Step 1.
People are now able to meet for outdoor gatherings. These should contain no more than 10 people from two households. Social distancing guidelines should be adhered to.
Recreational activities are expanded to include more activities, with a maximum of 10 people, socially distanced. Some activities, such as sailing and boating should be limited to people from the same household.
Personal travel across an Alert Level boundary is strictly limited. This includes travel between Auckland and the parts of the Waikato that are in Alert Level 3, Step 1.
Face-to-face appointments with some healthcare providers can restart, and Early Learning Centres can reopen, with a maximum of 10 children per bubble.
Auckland and Waikato Alert Level settings will be reviewed by Cabinet on November 1, 2021.
Source: Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet
