Essential workers must comply from September 17, 2021
Wellington, September 9, 2021
This update shares key information about the government’s response to Covid-19.
It is intended to provide consistent information across central government, local government, CDEM and our key partners.
Key things to note
All workers who are permitted to cross the Auckland boundaries will be required to have evidence of a test taken within the seven days before crossing the boundary. The obligation on workers crossing the boundary to carry this evidence takes effect on 11.59 pm, September 16, 2021.
Covid-19 saliva testing will be an option for workers who need weekly testing so that they can cross alert level boundaries. Health authorities are working with providers to set up pop-up testing centres near the boundaries and on-site testing at workplaces.
250,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine have been acquired in an agreement with Spain. These doses are in addition to our scheduled deliveries. This is the first of two vaccine agreements being negotiated.
MIIQ Allocation
MIQ is working closely with Pasifika Future, the Whanau Ora commissioning agency for Pacific families, to help support Pacific individuals and families in MIQ. A second red flight for people eligible for MIQ emergency allocation is scheduled for 15 September. The deadline for applications via the MIQ website is 5 pm NZST on Saturday, September 11, 2021.
Business travel across alert level boundaries: From 11:59 pm, Thursday, September 9, 2021, businesses are required to have the systems and processes in place, so far as is reasonably practicable, to facilitate the Covid-19 test requirement.
Requirements for workers crossing alert level boundaries include (1) From 11:59 pm, September 16, 2021, evidence of a test taken within the seven days before crossing the boundary (2) Permission to travel documentation and/or acceptable evidence required for permitted travel and (3) A photo ID.
Personal travel through boundaries
There are limited permitted reasons for travel through Auckland or transferring at Auckland Airport. The reasons include attending a funeral or tangihanga, going to health appointments or to work. Going on holiday is not a permitted reason for people in regions at Alert Level 2 to travel into, out of or through Auckland.
People in Northland can travel to other Alert Level 2 areas for any reason, including a holiday, if they can do this without travelling through or via Auckland. The same applies to people in other Alert Level 2 areas travelling to and from Northland. It is understood that airlines are scheduling flights between Northland centres and other Alert Level 2 cities.
Crossing alert level boundaries for tangihanga and funerals: Travelling within Alert Level 2 or transiting through Alert Level 4 between Alert Level 2 areas to attend a funeral or tangihanga is now permitted, as long as departure or destination points aren’t inside the Alert Level 4 region and the travel through Alert Level 4 is necessary to get to the funeral or tangihanga. People do not need an exemption or approval, but should carry some evidence of your reason for travel.
Travel from Alert Level 4 to Alert Level 2 or Alert Level 2 to Alert Level 4 to attend a funeral or tangihanga is not permitted.
Cases and monitoring
There are no unexpected new detections of Covid-19 in wastewater in the past 24 hours.
There are 13 new cases of Covid-19, all in Auckland, for a total of 868 cases composed of 851 cases in Auckland (256 recovered) and 17 cases (Nine recovered) in Wellington. There are five new cases at the border.
There are now 31 cases in hospitals, all in the Auckland area. Of these, five are in ICU or a high dependency.
As of 9 am today, a total of 38,126 individual contacts have been formally identified and there are currently 122 locations of interest. 838 of this outbreak’s cases have been epidemiologically linked and 30 are under investigation.
Yesterday, 17,684 Covid-19 tests were processed across New Zealand with 8472 of those tests taken in Auckland. Our 7-day rolling average is 10,856.
Visit the Ministry of Health for more detailed information.
Vaccine Rollout
More than 4.03 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered to date (to 11.59pm on 7 September).
Of these, 2.66 million people have had their first dose and over 1.37 million people have had their second dose.
358,527 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered to Māori.
Of these, 245,139 Māori have received their first vaccination and 120,907 have also had their second vaccinations.
235,468 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered to Pacific peoples.
More than 157,145 Pacific peoples have received their first vaccination and 82,434 have also had their second vaccinations.
Yesterday on 6 September, we administered 72,893 doses nationally.
Of these 49,594 were first doses, and 23,299 were second doses.
Visit the Ministry of Health for further detailed information.
For more information visit unite against covid-19.
Source: Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, Wellington
