17 August 2021

Kia ora koutou katoa,

At 11.59pm tonight, 17 August, the whole of New Zealand will move to COVID-19 Alert Level 4. Auckland and the Coromandel Peninsula will be in this level for seven days, the rest of the country will be in it for three days.

The change in alert levels follows a positive case of COVID-19 being detected in the community. The person who tested positive lives in Auckland. 

What to do if you may have come into contact with the infected person

The person who tested positive has visited a number of locations in Auckland and  Coromandel. The Ministry of Health has published a list of locations of interest - places the person went to when infectious and the time they were there.

Anyone who visited any of these locations at the listed times should self-isolate and call Healthline on 0800 358 5453 for advice.

If you have COVID-19-like symptoms

If you have cold, flu or COVID-19 symptoms you should:

• Stay home and call your doctor or Healthline, for free on 0800 358 5453. 
• Wash your hands
• Sneeze and cough into your elbow, and disinfect shared surfaces often.

Keeping yourself and others safe under Alert Level 4

COVID-19 Alert Level 4 means a number of changes:

• People should stay home as much as possible
• They should only leave home to visit the supermarket, dairy, pharmacy, to get necessary medical treatment or to exercise in their neighbourhood
• They must keep a distance of at least 2 metres from people who are not in their households
• Face masks/coverings must be worn when leaving home
• Travel is restricted and people must stay in their local area
• All gatherings are cancelled and public venues are closed
• Businesses are closed except for essential services
• Schools and educational institutions are closed.

Regardless of alert level we should all be using the COVID-19 Tracer App, or keeping track of where we've been. It's easy to get complacent over this, but using the app is crucial in helping manage situations like this.

Support for businesses impacted by the change to Alert Level 4

Government has announced that financial support for businesses affected by the restrictions will be available. More detail is expected tomorrow.

Please continue to share these important actions with the communities you work with and represent. We've been here before and, together we can deal with it.

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. 

Looking after yourselves and each other

Although we've been in this situation before, such a dramatic change can be unsettling. For anyone who needs it, there is plenty of support available. Details can be found on the COVID-19 website.

As ever our regional teams are here to help. If you need to get in touch with us 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

Let us hope we can get through this quickly. We have shown we can beat COVID-19 before and we will again. I will continue to share information as decisions are made by Government. In the meantime take care of yourselves, your families, loved ones, and wider communities.

Ngā mihi nui
Mervin Singham
Chief Executive, Ministry for Ethnic Communities