We will be at Covid-19 Alert Level-3 at 11:59 p.m. 21 Sep. 2021
Alert Level 3 information on personal movement, exercise, education, work, business, travel and gatherings.
Everyday life
Stay home if you can to avoid any risk of spread. You must work from home unless you’re not able to. Children should learn at home if possible.
Alert Level-3 does “not” mean we can now start visiting friends or neighbours … we are still in lockdown. It does mean however that we can perhaps extend our “small” protective bubble by one or two who are themselves ‘isolating alone’. “STAY SAFE“!
If you are unwell
- If you’re sick, stay home. Don’t go to work or school. Don’t socialise.
- If you have cold, flu or COVID-19 symptoms call your doctor or Healthline and get advice about being tested.
- If you have been told to self-isolate you legally must do so immediately.
Get tested if you have cold, flu or COVID-19 symptoms. Tests are free
Self-isolation, quarantine and testing
If you get a COVID-19 test, you legally must stay home in self-isolation until you receive your results.
Good hygiene
It’s important that you use basic hygiene measures, including washing your hands, coughing or sneezing into your elbow and cleaning surfaces.
Keep track of where you’ve been
We recommend you keep track of where you’ve been and who you’ve seen. This helps with rapid contact tracing if it’s required.
Businesses legally must display the NZ COVID Tracer QR code poster.
Personal movement
At Alert Level 3, you legally must stay within your household bubble whenever you’re not at work or school. You can expand this to:
- connect with close family and whānau
- bring in caregivers, or
- support isolated people.
IT’S IMPORTANT TO PROTECT YOUR BUBBLE! Keep your bubble exclusive and only include people where it will keep you and them safe and healthy. If anyone within your bubble feels unwell, they legally must immediately self-isolate from everyone else within the bubble.
DO NOT INVITE OR ALLOW SOCIAL VISITORS, uch as friends, extended family and whānau, to enter your home.
Physical distancing
Keep your distance when outside your home.
You should keep a distance of at least:
- 2 metres in public and retail stores, like supermarkets
- 1 metre in controlled environments, like workplaces and schools.
Face coverings
You:
- legally must wear a face covering on public transport and on domestic flights
- are strongly encouraged to wear a face covering in situations where physical distancing is not possible, like in shops.
Local travel
You can travel within your local area, for example going to work or school, shopping, or getting exercise. Public transport can continue to operate with strict health and safety requirements.
Travel between regions
At Alert Level 3 travel between regions is heavily restricted.
Gatherings and events
Gatherings of up to 10 people can continue, but only for:
- wedding services
- funerals and tangihanga.
Physical distancing and public health measures legally must be maintained.
Public venues
Public venues legally must close. This includes libraries, museums, cinemas, food courts, gyms, pools, playgrounds and markets.
Exercise and recreation
Now is not the time to take up new activities, or expose yourself or your bubble to any risk. You can do low-risk recreation activities in your local area.
Workplaces and businesses
At Alert Level 3, there are restrictions to keep workers safe, limit interaction with customers and help prevent the spread of COVID-19. We recommend staff working from home if they can.
Funerals and tangihanga at Alert Level 3
Gatherings of people create a very high risk of transmitting COVID-19.
Funerals, tangihanga and burials are allowed at Alert Level 3, but are limited to 10 people or under. The 10 person limit includes kaikaranga, kaikōrero, members of the clergy or staff who are attending.
Formal tangihanga involving large gatherings cannot take place at Alert Level 3.
Up to 10 people in the same bubble may go to view the tūpapaku, the person who has died, by appointment with the funeral director. Other whānau can view the body by appointment, but only in groups of up to 10 from the same bubble.
Talk with your funeral director about specific arrangements, including how to maintain physical distance. They can guide you on the best options for your situation, which may include livestreaming or video so others can take part in the service remotely.
No food or drink can be served, and physical distancing should be maintained between people.
If you’re attending a funeral or tangihanga we recommend still keeping 2 metres apart from people not in your bubble. You’re strongly encouraged to wear a face covering.
At Alert Level 3 you can visit a cemetery in your region, if you can do so safely while maintaining a physical distance from people not in your bubble.
The general guidance for avoiding physical contact, including harirū, hongi, kissing, and hugging, remain in place.
Bereaved families and whānau from all cultures and backgrounds will find this time challenging. This makes it even more important that we show each other kindness and caring, manaakitanga and aroha.
Travel for funerals and tangihanga at Alert Level 3
At Alert Level 3 there are strict restrictions in place for travel between regions. This is necessary to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
If you need to travel into or out of a region at Alert Level 3 for a funeral or tangihanga you will need to apply for an exemption.
Religious events and ceremonies at Alert Level 3
Weddings, and funerals and tangihanga can be held but are limited to a maximum of 10 people.
Places of worship can use a variety of online methods to safely continue religious services.
Providing last rites
Priests, imam and religious celebrants can provide last rites in a hospital, hospice or private residence under Alert Level 3.
In a health facility, they will need to adhere with the relevant visiting policy and infection prevention procedures.
Golden rules for business at Alert Level 3
- If your business requires close physical contact it can’t operate.
- We recommend your staff work from home if they can.
- Businesses need to display a QR code and have an alternative contact tracing system. We recommend making sure people either scan in or provide their contact details.
- Customers cannot come onto your premises — unless you are a supermarket, dairy, butcher, fishmonger, greengrocer, petrol station, pharmacy or permitted health service.
- Your business legally must be contactless. Your customers can pay online, over the phone or in a contactless way. Delivery or pick-up legally must also be contactless.
- Basic hygiene measures legally must be maintained. Physical distancing, hand washing and regularly cleaning surfaces. Workers legally must stay home if they are sick.
- Staff legally must remain a minimum of 1 metre apart at all times where practical. Other measures, such as PPE including face coverings, we recommend being used where appropriate.
- Different advice applies to essential healthcare workers, border agencies, courts and tribunal staff, first responders and corrections staff.
- You legally must meet all other health and safety obligations.
Travelling in or out of an Alert Level 3 area for business
Travel across Alert Level 2 and 3 areas is strictly limited to stop the spread of the virus. You may need to seek additional permission to complete travel across Alert Level areas.
