The COVID-19 Protection Framework ended, along with several other COVID-19 public health measures at 11.59pm on 12 September 2022.
The COVID-19 response will remain active and operating in the background, with fewer restrictions on individuals.
Get help straight away if you or your whānau feel sick this summer. Save the number for Healthline into your phone: 0800 611 116 – for free medical advice 24/7, even on Christmas Day. Interpreter support is available.
Protect yourself and others from COVID-19 by following the latest health advice on the Unite Against Covid-19 website.
What do I do if I get Covid-19 while on holiday?
You could get COVID-19 while you are away on holiday. Have a plan for what you need to do.
Plan how to get home safely to isolate — you can only return home if you or someone you are travelling with can drive there. Talk through the plan with the people you are travelling with.
If you cannot drive home, it is likely you will need to stay where you are until your self isolation time is finished.
If you or the people you are travelling with can drive home in a private or work vehicle, you will need to make as few stops as possible. You need to plan:
- your way home
- how you would get fuel — you should only stop at a contactless petrol station supplies for the journey home to reduce the number of stops you make.
- You must not use public transport or do any long-distance road travel that requires an overnight stay or travel between islands.
Latest Update:
Ministers have approved use of the paediatric Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children aged six months to four years who are at higher risk of severe disease if they were to catch COVID-19. To find out more visit Manatū Hauora.
From 18 November 2022, Māori and Pacific Peoples aged 40-49 will be eligible for a second booster to provide additional protection against serious illness from COVID-19.
This decision follows advice from the COVID-19 Technical Advisory Group (CV-TAG) that extending eligibility of second booster doses will assist in supporting higher vaccination rates among Māori and Pacific people, who are currently over-represented in COVID-19 hospitalisations in this age bracket.
Everyone is encouraged to stay up to date with their recommended vaccinations to protect from the risk of serious illness. hospitalisation and death from COVID-19.
You can find the second booster eligibility criteria here.
You can book all COVID-19 vaccinations via Book My Vaccine.
Isolation and household contacts
Only people who test positive for COVID-19 will be required to isolate for seven days.
Household contacts do not need to isolate. So long as they test negative, they will be able to go about daily life as normal.
If you are a household contact, you should test daily for 5 days with a rapid antigen test (RAT) from the day the person with COVID-19 tested positive.
Wear a face mask if you leave your home during your 5 days of testing.
If you test positive for COVID-19, you must self-isolate for 7 days.
The Close Contact Exemption Scheme for critical workers has ended.
Masks
All mask requirements will be removed, except for visitors in certain healthcare settings including primary care, urgent care, hospitals, aged residential care, disability-related residential care and pharmacies but not in counselling, mental health and addiction services.
Some places, such as workplaces, special events, or marae may ask people to wear a mask as a condition of entry. This will be at their discretion and no longer a Government requirement. People are encouraged to respect those who continue to keep wearing masks for the protection they offer against COVID-19.
Mandates
All remaining Government vaccine mandates will end. The last workforce with a Government vaccine mandate is health and disability workers. This will end on 11:59pm, 26 September 2022. Some employers may still require workers to be vaccinated due to their responsibilities under health and safety legislation.
International travel
Vaccination and testing requirements for all travellers arriving into New Zealand will also end, including air crew, from 11:59pm, 12 September. People arriving in New Zealand from overseas will continue to receive free RATs at the airport and will be encouraged to test on day 0/1 and 5/6.
Anti-viral medicines
Anti-viral medicines will be available for free to Māori and Pacific people aged 50+, everyone aged 65+ and anyone aged 50+ who has had fewer than two COVID 19 vaccinations. In addition, anyone with three high-risk conditions is eligible for free anti-viral medicines. To learn more about eligabiilty criteria click here.
More than 37,800 courses have been dispensed so far by pharmacies, which can now provide the medicines without a prescription. The medicines can also be prescribed by doctors, nurse practitioners and hauora providers.
Testing for COVID-19
If you have symptoms of COVID-19 please get tested. Click here for more information about getting tested, days and hours the collection sites are operating.
Getting Vaccinated
For details on where and when you can get vaccinated and the progress of the vaccination programme in Tairāwhiti, click here.
You can find out more about the COVID-19 Protection Framework on the Unite Against COVID-19 website
Advice
If you need non-urgent health advice you can call 0800 TAKATU to talk to local Tairāwhiti health professionals. Available from 9am-4pm Monday to Friday.
Need support?
Change and uncertainty can be tough to navigate, but it's important to seek help if you're struggling.
Feeling overwhelmed, stressed or anxious is common during periods of change. Recognising these emotions is an important step in finding the right help for you.
If you are seriously concerned about someone's immediate safety, call 111 or take them to the Accident and Emergency Department (A&E) at your nearest hospital.
Helplines:
- Need To Talk? Call or text free 1737
- The Depression Helpline: 0800 111 757
- Healthline: 0800 611 116
- Lifeline: 0800 543 354
- Samaritans: 0800 726 666
- Youthline: 0800 376 633
- Alcohol Drug Helpline: 0800 787 797
- Elder Abuse Helpline: 0800 32 668 65
Visiting Gisborne Hospital:
Click here to find out information on visiting the Gisborne Hospital. Click here for visiting hours.
