Update - Friday 28 August 2020
COVID-19 Local Government Response Unit main page
Frequency of Response Unit updates
The Response Unit continues to meet regularly and is on hand to support you as required as we move forward.
We are reducing the frequency of our updates to one update weekly, on Wednesdays.
Here’s today’s update
The Auckland region (Auckland Council area) remains at Alert Level 3 until 11:59 pm Sunday 30 August and the rest of New Zealand remains at Alert Level 2.
Following this, the country, including Auckland, will remain at Alert Level 2 for a further week until 11.59 pm on Sunday 6 September.
At Alert Level 2 in Auckland, gatherings will continue to be limited to 10 people and funerals and tangihanga will be limited to 50 people and have to meet other conditions set by the Ministry of Health.
At Alert Level 2 outside Auckland, gatherings such as church services and social events will continue to be limited to 100 people.
The Response Unit remains on hand to support you. You can send enquiries to your usual SOLGM, LGNZ, DIA contacts or Local Government Communications Groups inbox.
Elimination strategy and Resurgence planning
The Government remains committed to an elimination strategy for Covid-19 as outlined in the “Stamp it Out” framework. This means a sustained approach of keeping it out, finding it, and stamping it out.
The core of the response will be personal hygiene, staying home when sick, testing, contact tracing, and isolation. Where this is insufficient, the Government will seek to control Covid-19 with the least intrusive measures, including tailored local responses.
This potential for future local escalations in Alert Levels means that it is important all parts of New Zealand are well prepared to respond to a resurgence of COVID-19. Planning and preparation will be key to enabling social and economic recovery to continue and adapt during any future resurgence.
We are aware of concern that the resurgence planning requirements may place added pressure on councils. We are working to better understand how we can support you through this process.
COVID-19 impact analysis/planning tool
DIA have been working with Deloitte to develop a tool to support councils in understanding/assessing the COVID-19 economic impact and provide various scenario assessments.
As noted in previous updates, this tool is being developed at pace to be available for councils in time to be useful for your long-term planning work, noting the tool may also be useful for a wider range of council scenario planning.
This tool is being developed using national publicly available council data and provides regional (and local level where the data enables) outputs. There are also mechanisms for councils to plug more detailed data into the high-level scenario tools for deeper analysis.
The Recovery Reference Group met with Deloitte early in the commissioning phase to feed in on how to make this tool of most value to councils.
Today, Deloitte presented their ‘work in progress’ dashboards to the Recovery Reference Group and heard some final feedback on additional elements that would be most valuable. Deloitte will work to make further improvements based off today’s Recovery Reference Group input to have the tool available for councils shortly.
DIA and Deloitte will look to hold workshops with Council staff to run through the uses of the tool. We will be in touch shortly to set these workshops up, and are also available to present to council zone, regional or sectoral groupings as requested.
The Recovery Reference Group have been very clear that this tool needs to be made available to all councils as soon as possible for it to be of use for LTP drafting. We hope to be able to make it available immediately after the workshop sessions.
We will provide a more detailed update on the Recovery Reference Group meetings in our update email on Wednesday 2 September.
Foreign Nationals Support Programme: messages and milestones
The Assistance to Foreign Nationals Impacted by COVID-19 Programme (also called Visitor Care Manaaki Manuhiri by New Zealand Red Cross (NZRC)) formally began on 1 July.
Please find attached the week 9 Dashboard based on data up to midnight Wednesday 26 August 2020. This dashboard is unclassified – please feel free to share with your colleagues.
Programme delivery has stayed on course through the COVID-19 alert level changes. The team has made new considerations, such as providing foreign nationals with a PPE starter kit so they can travel safely to meet with NZRC staff, purchase essential items such as food or protect themselves (and others), particularly in Auckland.
This week, the focus has been on the timely processing of applications and continuing to ensure that people are aware of the Programme and the support offered. The team is continuing to focus on understanding the level and type of support needed by RSE workers and international students.
As at 26 August, the team have received a total of 6013 applications for in-kind assistance, supporting 4518 people.
Since 1 August, the team has received 1914 first time applications from foreign nationals who find themselves in serious hardship and 1485 reapplications from people who have previously received support.
Over 3665 vouchers have been issued by NZRC to clients for food and other assistance.
New requirements for public transport
Most forms of public transport will be required to display an NZ COVID Tracer QR from Thursday, 3 September 2020.
Masks will be mandatory for travel on public transport and flights at Alert Level 2 and above from Monday 31 August 2020.
Further communications around public transport settings will be sent out via Waka Kotahi’s NERT email alert system.
Should you wish to subscribe to this mailing list, please contact NERT@nzta.govt.nz
COVID-19 Response Preparedness
It is important we remain prepared and aware of our responsibilities and service levels across the Alert Level Framework should your region need to change Alert Levels.
We encourage councils to continue to promote best practice within your communities for good hand hygiene, and cough etiquette. You may find posters to support these messages on the COVID-19 Government website.
You will find details of all the COVID-19 Alert Levels on the COVID-19 website. We will also update our guidance on council services and operations across the COVID-19 Alert Levels on the COVID-19 Response Unit webpage.
Other useful Resources
Google drive hosting key creative assets for agencies to use and share across their channels as appropriate
Read MfE’s guidance for councils operating virtual hearings under the RMA
Read MfE’s face mask disposal messages
Read MfE’s Wet wipes messages.
You may sign up to the daily All of Government email newsletter.
You may find posters to support key messages on the COVID-19 GOvernment website.
Foreign nationals in need of assistance can check their eligibility and apply online on the Redcross website.
Connected.govt.nz has been launched by MDS to assist workers, employers and job seekers navigate all of the available COVID recovery programmes and assistance. The website is supported by a free phone line, 0800 264 737 and MSD have 35 physical Connected locations around the country.
