There have been a number of new developments with the coronavirus situation over the weekend that we wanted to update you on. Our Incident Management Team (IMT) is meeting daily and will continue to monitor, analyse and recommend any further actions as needed.
Further to an announcement made yesterday, the New Zealand Government has placed temporary entry restrictions into New Zealand on all foreign nationals travelling from, or transiting through mainland China, to assist with the containment of the novel coronavirus and to protect New Zealand and the Pacific Islands from the disease.
This takes effect from today and will be in place for up to 14 days. This position will be reviewed every 48 hours.
The key points of the announcement are:
- Any foreign travellers who leave or transit through mainland China after 2 February 2020 (NZ time) will be refused entry to New Zealand
- Any foreign travellers in transit to New Zealand on 2 February 2020 will be subject to enhanced screening on arrival but, pending clearance, will be granted entry to New Zealand
- New Zealand citizens and permanent residents returning to New Zealand will still be able to enter, as will their immediate family members, but will be required to self-isolate for 14 days on arrival back in the country
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade has also raised its travel advice to New Zealanders for all of mainland China to “Do not travel”, the highest level.
While there are no confirmed or suspected cases in New Zealand at the moment, the Ministry of Health continues to encourage a precautionary approach and a focus on good hygiene. Please check their website for the latest updates.
Please see link to full text of this announcement.
Samoa travel restrictions
The Government of Samoa has also issued travel advisory and restrictions around travel to and from Samoa. Please familiarise yourself with the restrictions on the Ministry of Health Samoa website.
Self-quarantine mandate
Last week we mandated that all staff and students recently arrived or returned from China delay their start at Unitec for 14 days from their date of arrival in New Zealand to ensure they have not contracted or spread the virus. This mandate remains in place.
International students from China
We are in regular communication with all our students, including our International students from China. We have informed them of the recent travel restrictions imposed by the New Zealand Government, and are advising them to closely monitor the developing situation via our website and others. A group WeChat account has been set up for them to help facilitate the flow of information.
For those International students who have already arrived in Auckland from China, we are assisting them with accommodation during their 14-day quarantine period, if required.
The TEC has activated its Incident Management Team around coronavirus and will issue further guidance for students who have been delayed in China. We will continue to update you on this guidance.
Reminder about staff travel suspension to China
Last week we suspended all staff travel to China as a precautionary measure. This suspension remains in place. Please discuss with your manager any risk associated with other overseas travel and contact your HR Business Partner to check if there are any other parameters you need to be aware of.
What you should continue to do:
- Keep up to date with the latest developments via the Nest – check in on a daily basis and also scroll down and check the FAQs (which are also being updated regularly). If you’re a manager, please remind your team to monitor the Nest
- Look after your health and follow the World Health Organisation recommendations on “Protecting yourself and others from getting sick” .
- Stay at home if you’re feeling unwell. Always seek medical advice if you have any concerns, either via your GP or calling Healthline on 0800 611 116. We also advise you to monitor the Ministry of Health website for further updates
- Should you have any inquiries from International students, please direct them to internationalsupport@unitec.ac.nz. All other students should contact Student Support on 0800 10 75 10 (from within New Zealand)
For FAQs – Go to our update Coronavirus: What you need to know to protect yourself and our students (Wednesday 29 January 2020).