Marist School in Auckland
You may have seen that Marist School in Auckland has had a number of cases confirmed this week. Our regional staff have been working with regional health authorities to provide support to the school with communications going out from the school to all their families and whānau this week. Our thoughts are with them.
State of Emergency declared
A nationwide message will go out to all of New Zealand between 6pm and 7pm this evening. It is vital that all your community understand how crucial it is that they self-isolate within their group, minimise travel, practice physical distancing when outside their group and outside, and practice very good hygiene for the next 4 weeks.
There will be no tolerance for people who don’t self-isolate.
Schools are closed
After 11.59pm today, no one is to go on site to schools during the lockdown. If there is an emergency Police and/or Fire services will respond.
Government announcement about children aged 0 – 14 of Essential Workers
Further to our Bulletin content about self-isolating groups (circles of care), Government has confirmed the following arrangements today. You may wish to forward this to your community immediately.
Where possible, essential workers need to make their own arrangements for childcare from Thursday 26 March until the end of the lockdown, due to limited capacity.
Where this is not possible alternative arrangements have been made so essential workers can continue to work.
What essential workers need to know when making their own arrangements
Essential workers will need to use their existing networks for in home care, for example a neighboor, relative, friend or current carer/nanny who can come to their house, or provide childcare in their own home. There are Public Health rules that must be observed:
- The person caring for your child becomes part of your self-isolating group
- This group must remain the same for the whole period
- The carer must not care for children from other households (other than their own) over the same period
- If a child or carer becomes unwell, they must stay at home
If essential workers do not have access to childcare through their own networks
If essential workers are unable to access childcare to perform their essential service, the government will fund other licensed childcare providers (for example through PORSE, Barnados and Edubase / Home Grown Kids) to provide in home care to the children aged 0-14 of essential workers. The carer would be subject to the same Public Health rules as set out above.
For the purposes of providing care to children of essential workers, the in home carer will be classified as an essential worker in both cases.
Initial list of contact details for providers
- Barnados website – email covid19enquiries@
barnardos.org.nz or call 0800 BARNARDOS (0800 227 627) - Edubase / Home Grown Kids website or call 0508 44 54 37 or email info@hgk.co.nz
- PORSE website 0800 023 456
Removing data caps for internet
Please be advised most of the major telcos have now removed data caps and the possibility of any extra charges based on usage.
Please see the links to those major companies below if your staff or students working from home need further support with this.
SPARK – https://www.spark.co.nz/help/
“Removing overage charges for customers who are on data-capped broadband plans, so they won’t have to worry about paying extra to stay connected. This applies to both small and medium business and consumer customers;”
VODAFONE – https://news.vodafone.co.nz/
“The removal of data caps from data-capped Broadband plans for consumers and small to medium sized businesses until at least the end of June 2020”
VOCUS/SLINGSHOT – https://help.slingshot.co.nz/
“We removed all the data caps from our plans to better enable you to work from home during this time of social distancing and self-isolation.”
2DEGREES – https://www.2degreesmobile.co.
“Any customer who was on a limited data plan on or before Friday, March 20 will now receive unlimited data through until June 2020.”