The Bay of Plenty is at Covid-19 alert level 2 until at least midnight on Friday. Here's what you need to know.
Hygiene and tracing
Alert level 2 is when the disease is contained. No more than 100 people are allowed at gatherings and businesses can open to the publicif they are following public health guidelines, includes physical distancing and record keeping.
Make sure you carry out physical distancing of 2m, wash your hands or use hand sanitiser and wear a mask.
If you have a smartphone, download and use the NZ Covid Tracer app or keep a manual record of the places you go, the times, and who you interact with.
Check in with friends, family and neighbours on the phone, via email or from a distance.
ALERTS
FACEMASK
Masks
Face masks can be bought online, from essential businesses such as supermarkets and pharmacies or made at home.
Associate Professor Arindam Basu from the University of Canterbury's College of Education, Health and Human Development says "any mask is good, except those with valves on them".
"Mask wearing needs to be with all other precautions (hand wash/cough-sneeze hygiene)."
• If you have Covid-19 symptoms, call Healthline for free on 0800 358 5453.
• For support with anxiety, distress or mental wellbeing, call or text 1737 to talk with a trained counsellor for free.
• A free helpline service is available for all New Zealand businesses at the Covid-19 alert levels. Call 0800 500 362 for the North Island, or 0800 50 50 96 for the South Island.
• If you have questions or feedback about the NZ Covid Tracer app, call 0800 800 606 or email the help@covidtracer.min.health.nz address.
• If you have questions about managed isolation and quarantine call 0800 ISOMIQ (0800 476 647) or email the enquiries@miq.govt.nz address.
• For financial support call MSD on 0800 552 002 (seniors 65+), 0800 889 900 (students) or 0800 559 009 (general line).
• If you're deaf, hearing impaired, deafblind or speech impaired you can use the free New Zealand Relay Service to call on TTY: 0800 4 713 713, voice 0800 4 715 715, fax 0800 4 329 697 or email the helpdesk@nzrelay.co.nz address.
