For Accommodation Providers: Health & Safety for Overseas Travelers
The kiwifruit industry considers those travelling on Working Holiday Visas’ to be an important part of our seasonal workforce and as accommodation providers, you are also an important contributor to our industry. We now find ourselves in unknown territory with the arrival of Covid-19 and while travellers remain important to our industry, it is equally important that the risk of transmission of the virus is managed. The kiwifruit industry is a key contributor to regional economies and we need to do all we can to make sure that the 2020 harvest proceeds and fruit is exported according to plan. While the industry has robust hygiene requirements in place, we would appreciate your help in managing the risk of travellers and provide you with the following information and links to assist. We know that there are many travellers that have been in NZ for some time and we need to protect them from the virus.
All overseas travellers that entered the country after 1am Monday 16 March are required to self-isolate for 14 days, those entering prior to that are also asked to self-isolate. Travellers from category 2 countries are exempt from this rule. The requirement to self-isolate has been put in place by the New Zealand Government to protect the health and well-being of all New Zealanders.
The kiwifruit industry will not hire any workers that have not completed the statutory 14 day self-isolation requirement and the passport of workers will be checked for the date of entry when workers apply for roles within the industry. It is important to note that any person that fails to self-isolate will be subject to deportation by Immigration New Zealand.
Self-isolation in shared accommodation facilities
The New Zealand Government has a dedicated Covid-19 website which provides information on self-isolation.
All travellers should avoid self-isolating in a shared accommodation facility due to the potential risk to other persons accommodating in the same facility. We recommend that you do not allow travellers to self-isolate in your facility unless you have fully self contained and isolated facilities as per the guidelines. We suggest that you require all travellers to details of their travel movements for the previous 14 days prior to checking in to ensure that they have not recently arrived. The most appropriate form of self-isolation is where you do not come into contact with any other person (unless you have been travelling with them). The below advice is not just relevant for shared accommodation but any accommodation where people are self-isolating:
- Think about using food delivery apps
- Do not use communal facilities like bathrooms and kitchens
- Check for symptoms on a daily basis. Symptoms can be found here
- Practice physical distancing. Avoid being in close contact and avoid any gatherings
- Avoid sharing dishes, drinking glasses, cups, eating utensils, towels, pillows or other items
The New Zealand Government has provided health information on Covid-19 in other languages which can be found here. If any of your guests become unwell, contact Healthline immediately on 0800 358 5453. Minimising the spread of Covid-19 will only be effective if we all play our part by abiding by the rules of the New Zealand Government.
Should you require any further information on employment opportunities, please access our website https://www.nzkgi.org.nz/what-we-do/labour-education/find-a-kiwifruit-job-now/#section, our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/KiwifruitJobsNZ/ or contact our labour coordinator employment@nzkgi.org.nz.
You can also check our website for more information https://www.nzkgi.org.nz/what-we-do/communications-adverse-events/coronavirus-information/#content