27 August 2021

Kia ora koutou katoa,

This afternoon the Prime Minister announced some upcoming changes to COVID-19 Alert Levels for different parts of the country.

• All of New Zealand, south of the Auckland boundary will move to Alert Level 3 at 11.59pm on Tuesday 31 August
• Auckland and the wider Northland region will remain at Alert Level 4
• Cabinet will review Auckland and Northland's Alert Level settings on Monday
• The boundary south of Auckland will be reactivated next week
• No-one will be able to move from one Alert Level area to the other without an exemption and Police will be patrolling the border.

Information on the rules under Alert Level 3 can be found on covid19.govt.nz

Until 11.59pm on Tuesday, the whole of Aotearoa New Zealand remains at Alert Level 4. Let us hope we can all move down Alert Levels quickly.

Supporting our Afghan communities

While we are all living under the pressures that come with Alert Level 4, our Afghan communities face the added stress of the situation in Afghanistan and concerns for loved ones.

We have spoken with a number of different Afghan community groups and leaders to hear their concerns and connect with the information and support that is available.

On our website you will find a list of organisations who can offer support to Afghan refugees, and communities. I would like to sincerely thank all those groups who have come forward to offer help at a difficult time.

We have also worked with the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Trade to put together guidance for those concerned about loved ones in Afghanistan. This is being translated into several languages and will be available shortly.

Confronting prejudice

Sadly, while COVID-19 has brought out the best in many New Zealanders, we have also seen a darker side to our society with racism rearing its ugly head again.

Our Pasifika communities have been getting abuse because a number of people became infected with COVID-19 at a Samoan church service. Some people with disabilities have been criticised because they cannot safely where facemasks. And our Asian communities have once more become the target of racial abuse. 

I am pleased to say the majority of New Zealanders have been kind and caring. Long may this continue. I would ask everyone to help, both by being kind and by calling out prejudice. We have started re-sharing posts from the Racism is No Joke campaign on our Facebook page. Please help share this.

Another way to help combat prejudice is contributing to the Human Rights Commission's National Action Plan Against Racism.

Vaccination keeps going

From 1 September everyone aged 12 and over can book their COVID-19 vaccination. People can book an appointment online or by calling 0800 28 29 26. This phone line has interpreters.

We are producing a series of videos in different languages, explaining the key facts about vaccination. Some are already on our website and more will follow.

Over two million people have already received their first dose, and over one million have had both doses. That is great to see.

Where to get more information

The covid19.govt.nz website remains the central source of information and updates on COVID-19. It includes comprehensive information translated into multiple languages. 

We are here to help

Our regional teams are here to help. If you need to get in touch with us, or need help connecting with support, here is a list of our Regional Managers. We would be delighted to talk with you. 

Northern Region (upper North Island)
Nandita Mathur - 027 299 8031

Central (central and lower-North Island)
Kudakwashe Tuwe - 027 213 5972

Southern Region (South Island)
Shane Whitfield – 029 200 4625

If you prefer, you can reach us by email at info@ethniccommunities.govt.nz

Keep looking out for each other, sharing information and being kind.  Please take care of yourselves, your families, loved ones, and wider communities.

Ngā mihi nui,

Mervin Singham
Chief Executive, Ministry for Ethnic Communities