COVID 19 Information

10 things you need to know about Alert Level 2

1. Schools are open to everyone, and all children must attend.

2. Learning will be onsite with distance learning offered in some circumstances.

3. Schools are not classified as gatherings and a range of events and activities can go ahead.

4. Schools will close for cleaning and contact tracing if there is a confirmed case who was infectious when at school.

5. Face coverings are not required at school or on any school transport.

Public health advice now, in light of the increased risk of the Delta variant, is that face coverings for students aged 12 and over are strongly encouraged to be worn.

6. Sick people must stay at home.

7. Schools must have a contact tracing system in place.

8. Fundamental public health measures continue to apply at every alert level:

• Physical distancing (not touching and not breathing on each other at Alert Level 2)

• Hand hygiene

• Cough and sneeze etiquette

• Regularly cleaning and disinfecting high touch surfaces.

9. Think and plan carefully before you go ahead with any activity that brings a large number of students together and/or spectators are involved.

10. Your Ministry regional office team is available to provide support.

The rules at Alert Level 3:

• People instructed to stay home in their bubble other than for essential personal movement – including to go to work, school if they have to, or for local recreation.

• People must stay within their immediate household bubble, but can expand this to reconnect with close family / whānau, or bring in caregivers, or support isolated people. This extended bubble should remain exclusive.

• Schools (years 1 to 10) and Early Childhood Education centres can safely open, but will have limited capacity. Children should learn at home if possible.

• People must work from home unless that is not possible.

• Businesses cannot offer services that involve close personal contact, unless it is a supermarket, pharmacy, petrol station or hardware store providing goods to trade customers, or it is an emergency or critical situation.

• Other businesses can open premises, but cannot physically interact with customers.

• Low risk local recreation activities are allowed.

• Public venues are closed (e.g. libraries, museums, cinemas, food courts, gyms, pools, playgrounds, markets).