29 September 2021 COVID-19 health key messages FINAL

Latest COVID-19 health key messages Approved messages for use in your communications Consistent messaging helps us to coordinate our efforts to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. This document provides approved key messages from the Ministry of Health.

29 September 2021

New Zealand Alert Level status Auckland is at Alert Level 3. The rest of New Zealand is at Alert Level 2. These settings will be reviewed by Cabinet on Monday 4 October.

Find out more about what to do at different Alert Levels on the Unite Against Covid-19 website

Community cases update There are 45 new cases of COVID-19 in the community today. All cases are in Auckland. The total number of community cases is 1,230.

Continue to check the locations of interest on the Ministry of Health’s website. Please note that there are section 70 public health orders in place that require people to follow health orders. Any time a person receives a direction from a medical officer of health, they must comply with public health requirements to undergo testing and to isolate until they receive their result.

Testing figures update Yesterday, 15,437 tests were processed across New Zealand.

COVID-19 vaccination figures update Yesterday, 44,649 vaccines were administered. There have been 5,132,627 vaccines administered to date. Of these 3,266,796 are first doses and 1,865,831 are second doses.

View the latest data and statistics

Targeted approach to testing in Auckland businesses As part of the Ministry’s targeted approach to COVID-19 testing in Auckland, businesses permitted to operate under Alert Level 3 are asked to take part in surveillance testing of their workforce.

The sectors of particular interest are construction, hospitality and retail. The Ministry is asking workers of permitted businesses in these sectors who are operating under Alert Level 3 to get two tests at least five days apart over the next two weeks, whether they have symptoms or not.

1

With the move to Alert Level 3, there will be increased movement as employees of permitted businesses return to work, and people are able to visit these businesses (even in a contactless way). This testing will help to: • •

quickly identify any new chains of transmission provide a level of assurance that there is a low risk of undetected community transmission

Guidance on the operationalisation of this testing requirement is as follows: • • • •

•

This is not mandatory, but the Ministry is encouraging employers to support their workers to undertake this testing while Auckland is in Alert Level 3.

This is a surveillance test, so workers who choose to do this do not need to isolate. They can continue working under the usual Alert Level 3 precautions unless they have symptoms.

The testing requirement is two tests - one swab test and a follow up test in the following week (at least five days later) if Auckland is still in Alert Level 3.

Testing for this purpose is free and can be undertaken at community testing centres. For a full list of testing locations go to the Healthpoint website. Alternatively some larger businesses may have testing onsite and they can get tested there.

It is up to employers to agree arrangements with their workers who choose to undergo this testing.

Groups already undertaking surveillance testing, such as permitted workers crossing Alert Level boundaries or border workers, do not need to undergo this additional testing.

Read the updated testing plan and guidance on the Ministry of Health website

Additional testing in managed isolation facilities The Government has introduced an additional COVID-19 test for all returnees in managed isolation facilities (MIFs). Day 6/7 nasal swabbing has been added to the routine testing schedule for all returnees arriving in MIFs from 30 September 2021. That means returnees will now be tested on days 0/1, 3, 6/7 and 12. This change is in response to the more transmissible Delta variant, which has caused an increase in the number of day 12 positive tests in MIFs. This additional day 6/7 test will allow us to identify potential cases well before day 12, which in turn allows us to: • •

• •

organise quicker transfer to a quarantine facility (or quarantine zone of a dual-use facility), thereby reducing the risk of in-MIF transmission. ensure there is adequate time for source investigations and public health risk assessments to be completed before day 12, in order to limit the impact on other returnees who may otherwise need to stay longer. identify any potential cases of in-MIQF transmission earlier using a risk-based approach. collect more data and information on the length and latency of COVID-19 and the Delta variant.

This change is part of our ongoing refinement of the MIF system, as we learn more about how the virus works. Onsite health teams will use their clinical discretion to determine whether testing is conducted on day 6 or day 7, in relation to their workload and testing capacity at the facility on those days.

Further changes at the Auckland regional boundary From 11.59pm on 28 September additional reasons for permitted travel were introduced for movement across the Auckland boundary.

2

The additional permitted travel reasons are for: •

• •

people relocating permanently to: o move into a new property that they have purchased or rented o start a new job o undertake tertiary education or study shared caregiving arrangements people returning home from Alert Level 3 to Alert Level 2.

In these circumstances people no longer need to apply for a personal travel exemption. As long as they bring proof of their reason for travel to the boundary they will be allowed to cross.

Health key messages 27 September 2021 Where to get your COVID-19 vaccine If you haven’t been vaccinated for COVID-19 there are a wide range of options available.

You can reserve your spot at a vaccination centre near you on Book My Vaccine.nz. If you have questions or need help booking, call the COVID-19 Vaccination Healthline 0800 28 29 26.

You can also get your vaccine at a walk-in and drive-through centre without a booking, or through some marae-based centres, general practices, pharmacies or Pacific providers.

Find out more about where you can get a vaccine at healthpoint.co.nz or www.karawhiua.nz.

Get accurate and trusted information about the COVID-19 vaccine at health.govt.nz, www.covid19.govt.nz, and karawhiua.nz

Testing requirements for workforce of permitted businesses operating under Alert Level 3 As part of the Ministry’s targeted approach to COVID-19 testing in Auckland, businesses permitted to operate under Alert Level 3 are asked to take part in surveillance testing of their workforce.

Groups already undertaking surveillance testing, such as permitted workers crossing Alert Level boundaries or border workers, do not need to undergo this additional testing.

This testing is not mandatory, but the Ministry strongly encourages workers who have no COVID-19 symptoms to undertake two COVID-19 swab tests, at least five days apart while Auckland is at Alert Level 3.

Workers who have already had a test since Auckland entered Alert Level 3 are requested to have another test at least five days since their first test.

Workers who have no symptoms do not need to isolate while they await their test result and can continue their normal daily life under Alert Level 3 restrictions.

People who are permitted to work mix with a lot more people and testing in a higher Alert Level setting will: • •

provide increased assurance that there are not undetected cases of COVID-19 in the community help with early detection to enable contact tracing to stamp the virus out.

3

The workers in this group are those people who are either working in essential businesses, or those who have gone back to work at Alert Level 3. They will be moving around in a wide range of settings, so this testing will help the Ministry gain increased assurance that the virus is not transmitted as they move about.

Testing for this purpose is free and can be undertaken at a community testing centres, GPs or urgent care centres. For a full list of testing locations go to the Healthpoint website Read the updated testing plan and guidance on the Ministry of Health website

Updated Interim Guidance - Clinical Management of COVID-19 in Hospitalised Adults The Interim Guidance - Clinical Management of COVID-19 in Hospitalised Adults was updated on 25 September 2021.

This guideline is an accessible summary of hospital management of adults with confirmed or probable COVID-19. The latest update includes: • • • •

modification of ‘moderate’ illness definition modified recommendation for use of remdesivir modified wording for recommendation of tocilizumab the addition of recommendation to encourage post-recovery vaccination at discharge.

The next update is expected on 8 October 2021.

Read the guidance on the Ministry of Health website’s COVID-19: Advice for all health professionals page.

COVID-19 Health and Wellbeing Survey The Ministry released results for the COVID-19 Health and Wellbeing Survey for the period 15 September to 21 September 2021 (when Auckland was at Alert Level 4 and the rest of the country was at Alert Level 2).

View the survey results on the Ministry’s website

Health key messages 24 September 2021 Testing for personal travel across Alert Level boundaries A testing requirement for personal travel across an Alert Level boundary came into effect on 11.59pm, 23 September.

People permitted for personal reasons to cross the boundary from Alert Level 3 to a lower Alert Level will need to have evidence of a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours prior to crossing the Alert Level boundary.

This new personal travel requirement does not apply to people travelling from Alert Level 2 to access health services with an appointment (including vaccinations) in Alert Level 3, and then travelling back to their place of residence in Alert Level 2.

It also does not apply to one-way travel into Alert Level 3 – for people travelling and remaining there.

4

More information on personal travel across Alert Level boundaries is available here.

Aged residential care staff movement at Alert Level 3 Following a review of the current outbreak and Alert Level settings, the Ministry of Health advises that at Alert Level 3, Aged residential care (ARC) staff movement is permitted across multiple sites/roles under the following conditions: • • •

staff are fully vaccinated plans and practices are in place to reduce the risk of transmission between settings staff follow IPC measures and processes including all standard hygiene measures, mask wearing requirements, appropriate use of PPE and mandatory record keeping.

Staff being vaccinated, staying at home if unwell (and having a COVID-19 test) and full implementation of Standard IPC measures are key to reducing the risk of transmissions between settings.

Read more: Guidance at Alert Level 3 for Aged care providers

Updated Easy Read information A range of updated Easy Read information is available on aspects of COVID-19.

Easy Read information uses words and pictures to present information in a way that’s easier to understand.

This is done to support people with learning disabilities better understand written information.

The most recently updated materials cover aspects of COVID-19 vaccinations, including supporting decision making, and about getting tested for COVID-19.

Access the materials on the Ministry of Health website or the Unite Against COVID-19 website.

5