Life as we knew it

COVID Rules Update and Recommendations

As of 11:59pm Monday 12 September our lives have once again changed to be the closest to a life before COVID-19. Gone is the traffic light system and as of 26 September all vaccine mandates. Self-isolation and mask wearing in health settings remains a requirement, however only the COVID-positive person must isolate for seven days following the onset of symptoms or a positive test result, whichever comes first. Meanwhile, household contacts must RAT test daily for five days and if a test becomes positive it’s seven days isolation.

Once again businesses and organisations need to review their health and safety risk, to measure the impact of these changes on their people and their operations. Although it is tempting to throw caution to the wind and embrace normality, COVID-19 has shown us how devastating illness can be on our people and operations. It is important to consider that the changes announced on Monday 12 September do not diminish the impact of COVID-19 or influenza on individuals or businesses. With self-isolation still a requirement, the impact of absent staff remains a real pressure for many organisations and businesses.

Our recommendation is to carry out a risk analysis on each part of your operations to determine where you may still require preventative measures. It may be prudent to continue the use of masks with certain roles (where good ventilation is lacking and social distancing is not possible), working from home if you have a COVID-positive household member or presenting a negative RAT to the employer before starting work each day for five consecutive days. Consider the unique aspects of your work site and the volume of staff that you require to keep operations running smoothly.

Other considerations which Business NZ recommends are:

• If you or your employees are feeling sick stay at home and get a test.
• Wear a face mask.
• Getting vaccinated and having booster shots.
• Make sure your workplace has good ventilation.

If you have any questions about this topic, please do not hesitate to contact us.