Keeping You and Your Whanau Safe

In a very short time, COVID-19 has changed the way we all live our daily lives.  But while it has caused us all to feel fear, uncertainty and worry about our future and that of our loved ones, it hasn't changed our ability to love, laugh, and show kindness to others. Together with love, laughter and cool heads that follow the rules, we can get through this.

We want you and your families and whanau to stay safe and well and there are some important things that we all need to do in order to keep us safe and well.

If you or a member of your whanau is feeling sick with flu like symptoms, e.g. sore throat, dry cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, or you have lost your sense of smell or taste, please call Healthline 0800 358 5453
 

	Wash your hands. Wash your hands. Wash your hands often!  This is the most important of all. Wash with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Soap is better than hand sanitizer because the soap bursts the protective wall (lipid envelope) that contains the active part of the virus of COVID-19 and destroys its ability to infect you.
	Avoid touching your face, eyes and mouth If you have to touch your face, make sure your hands are clean. Viruses and bacteria have an easy route to infect you through your eyes, nose and mouth.
	Cover your cough or sneeze Cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve or elbow. Don't sneeze into your hands. Or cover your mouth with a tissue. Flush the used tissue down the toilet or put into the waste bin.
	Physical distancing is important to stop the spread of COVID-19 Maintain a physical distance of 2metres between yourself and anyone living outside your home bubble. NO hongis, handshakes, hugs, high fives or fist pumps.  We know this is difficult but please find safe alternatives for yourselves that don’t involve touching to express your greeting and warmth to others you meet.
	No Visitors or Visiting During Alert Level 4 we must all remain in our family bubbles that were formed on or before 25 March 2020. There is no social visiting allowed and only essential travel is allowed e.g. for shopping, doctors appointments, so if other family or friends are helping with shopping, make sure you both keep well and safe by having them leave shopping at the door.   We have instructed all our Support Group Coordinators that regular meetings are to be cancelled until further notice. Contact with members is to be by telephone or online, or in exceptional circumstances with the 2m distancing practice and safe hygiene rules being adhered to at all times. At Alert Level 3 these restrictions will change so that if a relative or loved one lives locally, and is currently alone you can extend your bubble to include them. If you are returning to work and need to establish child care or other care arrangements for those already in your bubble, a care provider can join your bubble.   There is further information on the Government's website about limits on gatherings and the maintenance of social/physical distancing at Alert Level 3 when this Alert Level comes into effect on 28 April 2020.
	Doctors and Medical Appointments Do not show up to your GP or medical appointments without calling ahead first and getting directions from your doctor. Medical centres are changing their practices to enable assessments online and via the telephone in most cases. They do not want you to be exposed or expose them to this virus. Got symptoms?   Call your GP before you visit. Or call Healthline on 0800 358 5453.

 

Parent 2 Parent have put together this simple and easy to understand booklet to help you talk to children about COVID-19.

We are also grateful to #ProtectOurWhakapapa who have created a fantastic set of information pages/posters especially for Maori whanau setting out these important things we need to do to keep us all safe and well.  While they have been created for Maori, they are helpful for everyone else too.
 
To read each information page, click the following links.

For the Te Reo Maori versions of these pages, please click here.
 

1. What is COVID-19, What are the signs? How does it spread? What can I do to keep my whanau safe? What can I do in lockdown?
2. Essential items to have enough of to last a week to a month
3. Manaaki Tangata, keeping our kaumatua and whanau safe, looking after our whanau and elderly
4. Everyday life, arriving home from essential work, hygiene in the home, sleeping arrangements, managing contact-less deliveries, buying and ordering groceries, giving each other space
5. Whanau wellbeing, being prepared and accessing support
6. Having a whanau plan, emergency contact list, plan for if someone gets infected with COVID-19
7. Tips on how to maintain your personal well-being
8. Adapting our tikanga in changing times, keeping true to our tikanga