NEW ZEALAND

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The following information has been collected and collated by convergence consulting in collaboration with our in-country Global Alliance Partner.  Please let us know if you have additional questions by emailing us at COVID-19@cc-global.com.

1.       Does your country’s health authority have guidelines or requirements for when COVID-19 cases are classified work-related and reported as a workplace illness? 

Currently COVID-19 is not classified as a work-related illness and is not reported as a workplace illness.

Any known COVID-19 case must be reported  to the Ministry of Health by the treating physician.  Information on confirmed cases must also be exchanged between employers and employees.  More information on reporting and communication can be found at the following website: https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/diseases-and-conditions/covid-19-novel-coronavirus/covid-19-resources-health-professionals/recording-covid-19

2.       Is there information on the timing of “return to work” and the process for a worker to return, i.e. examination by a physician, or a negative COVID test?

Currently there is no return to work process.

3.       Does your country’s health authority have COVID-19 mitigation guidelines for the public and/or for business?  If so, please list them below and how long they will be in place. 

There are guidelines for the public and for businesses.  Currently, the guidance is advice only as there are currently no regulations in force.  A list of guidelines compiled from the website covering business requirements for Alert Level 2 is given below.

Businesses and workplaces can operate if they’re able to do so safely as set out below:

Engaging with customers:

Businesses may have customers on their premises if they can meet public health requirements.  This means businesses should:

  • have good contact registers, or contact tracing methods in place to record everyone who has interacted with others on your premises;

  • maintain physical distancing of 1 metre between groups of customers, or 2 metres if it’s not possible to keep contact tracing records;

  • refrain from groups larger than 10 people; and

  • maintain a 2-hour time limit for groups to be on premises.

Most businesses can open to the public, including cafes, restaurants, and bars for dining; hardware, gardening, and clothing retailers and butchers, bakeries, and fishmongers.

Hospitality businesses should keep groups seated, separated, and use a single service if possible.  This means each group has one server, though servers can each serve more than one table.

Work involving close personal contact:

  • For some businesses, close personal contact is required to deliver a service.  This includes hairdressers and home help providers.

  • These businesses may operate if they have public health measures in place like; robust contact registers in place, good hygiene practices and minimised contact to the extent possible.

  • Specific guidance for other key sectors is being developed by Government and will be available soon.

    Doing business safely

  • The key public health requirements state that businesses should maintain hygiene measures, including physical distancing, hand washing and regularly cleaning surfaces.

  • All businesses are encouraged to use alternative ways of working if possible.  This means businesses that don’t normally have customers on their premises could continue to have staff work from home.

  • If workers are sick with symptoms of COVID-19 or any other sickness, they should stay home.

Golden rules for business

  • Most businesses may operate if they can do so safely.  Alternative ways of working are still encouraged where possible.

  • Talk with your workers to identify risks and ways to manage them.

  • Ask everyone including workers, contractors and customers with cold or flu-like symptoms to stay away from your premises.

  • Keep groups of customers at least 1 metre apart.

  • Keep contact-tracing records of anyone who will have close interaction (workers, contractors or customers).

  • Reduce the number of shared surfaces, and regularly disinfect them.

  • Wash your hands regularly.

Travel and transport

  • Travel is permitted, but records of which travel services are used must be kept and should include all travellers in a group.

  • Minimise the number of places you stop on the way to your destination.

  • Try to limit taking public transport or use at off-peak times.

  • If you’re flying or taking other forms of transport that involve bookings, follow the physical distancing instructions from your transport operators.

  • You must not travel if you are displaying symptoms of COVID-19, awaiting a test, or if you need to self-isolate.

Self-isolation, quarantine and testing

  • People who are suspect and confirmed cases of COVID-19, or those who are in close contact with a case, will have to self-isolate for 14 days, or until cleared by a doctor.

  • People arriving from overseas will continue to be placed in managed isolation for 14 days, or quarantine if they are showing symptoms.

  • Anyone with symptoms of COVID-19 should get tested.

  • More details on the above guidelines can be found at: website:  https://covid19.govt.nz/alert-system/alert-level-2/

4.       Which governmental authority issued these guidelines, and are they voluntary or mandatory?

These guidelines are issued by the Department of Health with Worksafe New Zealand is required to enforce them under the COVID-19 Public Health Response Act 2020 for general public and Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 for workplaces.

5.       Do these mitigation measures have any consequence, such as, if a person does not abide by these measures must they pay a fine or go to jail?

A maximum fine of $4000 for a breach of the COVID-19 Public Health Response Act 2020 or six months in jail.

For workplaces, the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 would be enforced by Worksafe if a business exposes a worker to a risk from COVID-19 and does not have the systems to undertake all reasonably practicable steps to eliminate the risk from the virus.

6.       Has your country adopted any laws or regulations related to COVID-19?

Yes, these laws are covered under the COVID-19 Public Health Response Act 2020 which can be accessed at: https://covid19.govt.nz/alert-system/alert-level-2/

The data presented here is not a complete analysis of all COVID-19 information; however, our in-country Partner will provide updates as and when considered appropriate and as relevant data becomes available.  If you have any additional questions, or request for country information, please email us at COVID-19@cc-global.com with additional inquiries.

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Convergence

convergence is an environmental, health, safety and social management consultancy that specializes in multi-country (international) projects and programs.  We are able to meet our clients’ needs on a global scale while recognizing the important regional differences that our clients face in conducting business. Our country health and safety legal compliance tools for offices, retail and service sectors, known as CORE, are the foremost resource of its kind.