COVID-19 Local Government Response Unit Update - Friday 25 June 2021

The Department of Internal Affairs, LGNZ, Taituarā and other relevant government agencies have re-established the COVID-19 Local Government Response Unit to canvas and work through the immediate and longer-term challenges the disease poses for the local government sector and to support you in your responses to these evolving challenges.
The contents of this email SHOULD BE DISTRIBUTED TO YOUR STAFF.

There have been no cases of COVID-19 reported in the community. Wellington remains at Alert level 2.
On Wednesday (23 June) at 6.00pm, the Greater Wellington Region moved to Alert Level 2. The area includes Ōtaki, Waikawa Beach, Manakau, Wairarapa, and Kāpiti Coast.
A map of the confirmed boundaries that apply under Alert Level 2 is on the COVID-19 website here.
The new Alert Level will remain in place until 11:59pm on Sunday 27 June 2021.
The rest of the country remains at Alert Level 1.
While travel is not restricted under Alert Level 2, you should take your alert level behaviours with you if travelling out of the Greater Wellington region to the rest of New Zealand.
In case of a move to Alert Level 3, we recommend that councils in the Greater Wellington Region and surrounding districts ensure that they are familiar with the process for applying for exemptions for workers to travel across alert level boundaries. Information on how to apply is available from MBIE at Business travel across Alert Level Boundaries — business.govt.nz .
The Response Unit remains on hand to support you, you can send enquiries to your usual Taituarā, LGNZ, DIA contacts or this inbox: LGCGcovid19response@dia.govt.nz

The Response Unit will be operating on-call over the weekend and will send out updates if required.
Sports and recreation venues, competitions, organisations and clubs across the Wellington region should be enforcing appropriate restrictions on gatherings (including sports games).
- Where weekend sports are going ahead, organisers should be actively reminding people of the Alert Level 2 measures and encouraging compliance across any communications, social media channels and on the day.
- For all council owned and managed venues, please ensure methods are in place for contact tracing, physical distancing, those who are unwell are staying home and getting a test and other hygiene measures are being used.
- Continue encouraging diligent use of the NZ COVID Tracer app and mask wearing in public places where physical distancing isn’t possible.

Keep physical distancing of 2 metres from people you don’t know when out in public.
Keep 1 metre physical distancing in controlled environments like workplaces, where practical.
Wear a face covering on public transport, and in public where physical distancing is not possible.
Stay at home if you are sick; don’t go to work or school and don’t socialise.
If you have symptoms of a cold or flu, or aches and pains, call your doctor or Healthline and ask about getting tested.
No more than 100 people at social gatherings, including weddings, birthdays, funerals and tangihanga.
Keep washing your hands and keep track of where you have been at all times.
Visit theUnite Against COVID-19 website for a list of locations of interest, more information about the Alert Levels, and testing locations in Wellington and the rest of the country.

Remember the four golden rules:

Wash your hands
Scan QR codes
Turn on Bluetooth tracing on the NZ COVID Tracer app
Stay home if you’re feeling unwell and get advice from Healthline about a COVID-19 test

Face coverings are mandatory on all forms of public transport and domestic flights across the country no matter the Alert Level.

The following provisions will remain in place until the Principal Notice expires or is revoked:

the amendments to enable council meetings via audio or visual link to meet quorum requirements regardless of Council Standing Orders;
- the provisions enabling council meetings to be open to the public through online access and to post meeting agendas, reports and minutes on council websites rather than physical locations;
- new members of Council can continue to make their statutory declaration (oath of office) via audio or audio-visual link;
- the Order-in-Council mechanism for making further changes to by-election timing and provisions enabling local authority chief executives to delay the commencement of by-election timeframes.

Ngā mihi

Covid-19 Local Government Response Unit

https://www.dia.govt.nz/Local-Government-COVID-19-Response

45 Pipitea Street | PO Box 805, Wellington 6140, New Zealand

Te Tari Taiwhenua | Department of Internal Affairs