The Ministry for Primary Industries has provided guidance for operating under Covid-19 Level 4 at their website here.
New Zealand remains at Alert Level 4
As announced Friday afternoon, all of New Zealand remains at Level 4 lockdown until 11.59pm on Tuesday 24th August. This will be reviewed by the Government on Monday.
Plant Production & Garden Retail Operations:
- Primary industries (food and beverage production for both domestic consumption or export, plus the relevant support services) and veterinary and animal health and welfare services are permitted to operate under Alert Level 4. It also includes businesses transporting freight.
- Garden retail is not open for sales to the public at level 4 and the supply of plant is not part of essential services.
- In both plant production and garden retail selected workers (kept to a minimum) will be able to undertake basic plant maintenance & survival activities. The rules are the same as those we agreed during the last L4 shutdown, in March / April last year.
You are encouraged to use the NZPPI protocols that have been approved by Government (see below) and your own COVID 19 management plans that you developed last year, reviewing and improving them where you can.
See below for a link to Level 4 Protocols, or contact us at office@nzppi.co.nz
Key points:
The two-meter separation rule for workers will apply, but noting that the Delta variant can travel up to 8 meters, so the use of protective equipment including masks as a minimum is highly important.
- Monitor worker health at the beginning of each day, as they arrive at work.
- Re establish workplace bubbles and consider ways to avoid staff in difference bubbles from mixing, e.g. at breaks.
- Keep workers onsite at any time to a minimum to reduce the density of people.
- Consider vulnerable people, or those that live with vulnerable people and where possible avoid them attending work.
- Consider safe travel arrangements, particularly if workers are travelling to work in the same vehicles. Encourage or require mask wearing in vehicles.
Health guidelines:
- Use masks at all times, for the greatest protection and effectiveness.
- Strengthen workplace bubbles, being particularly mindful of how staff travel to and from work and congregate during break times.
- Maximise the distance between staff and reduce the density of staff in bubbles, as much as possible.
- Regularly checking the temperatures of staff is recommended, along with keeping of records to strengthen the ability to trace the movements and interactions of staff.
- Make sure that there are no financial disincentives for staff to stay at home when unwell.
- Check and maintain ventilation systems to ensure optimum operation.
Keep safe & be kind.