Covid 19 coronavirus: Fonterra's been taking staff temperatures since first lockdown

Dairy giant Fonterra, which employs nearly 12,000 people in New Zealand, says it's been taking staff temperatures daily since the first lockdown and was fully prepared for the country to return to lockdowns.

"Fonterra's continued to take a cautious approach since New Zealand came out of the first lockdown by maintaining temperature testings at our offices and manufacturing sites and by having a good supply of PPE on hand," said managing director cooperative affairs, Mike Cronin.

"We have had business continuity plans in place that we were ready to put into action if New Zealand were to go back into lockdown or partial lockdown. These are now being actioned.

"Because we're a global business, we're already managing circumstances where countries have lifted and then needed to reinstate Covid-19 restrictions. Take for example what's happening in Victoria right now where our Australian business is based," said Cronin.

Fonterra, the world's fourth biggest dairy company and New Zealand's biggest company by annual revenue at $20 billion, has 9000 staff at 29 manufacturing sites around the country, and about 11,700 staff nationally. It has 48 manufacturing sites in total including six in Australia, four in Asia and five in Latin America.

Cronin said the company was extending its tighter restrictions in greater Auckland operations to its Hamilton office and Te Rapa Farm Source office.

"Our restrictions are a step up from the Government's level 3 requirements in greater Auckland and reflect the cautious approach we have taken to date."

ALERTS2

Office staff from Fonterra's Auckland headquarters in Fanshawe St and Hamilton would work from home.

Essential workers at greater Auckland sites would be working under tight restrictions and all work-related travel within New Zealand has been suspended.

Asked if Fonterra was satisfied with the level of information from the Government, Cronin said "We have the information we need to implement our business continuity planning and await further updates".

"We already have business continuing plans for various scenarios and our high level of preparedness means we're able to put them into action at short notice."

FACEMASK