COVID-19 (coronavirus) information
COVID-19 (coronavirus) information
Tertiary Provider and International Bulletin
Tertiary Provider and International Bulletin
COVID-19 Update
- Welfare of students and staff
- Alert Level 2/3 border crossings
- Information for people who have visited Auckland
- Managed Isolation and Quarantine and Immigration New Zealand changes
- COVID-19 testing and treatment
On Saturday, 27 February, the government announced that from 6am, Sunday, 28 February, the Auckland Region will be at Alert Level 3 and the remainder of New Zealand will be at Alert Level 2, for 7 days.
We know that you are familiar with the alert level guidance for tertiary education organisations and continue to implement appropriate measures for your staff and students. You can read the detailed Guidelines for Tertiary Education Organisations on how to operate under different Alert Levels, on the Ministry of Education website.
This will remain an unsettling time for some. As always, the number one priority remains the welfare of students and staff and ensuring that they remain safe and well. Providers are reminded of their international and domestic pastoral code obligations. The Ministry of Health website has a range of mental health and wellbeing resources to assist, they can be found on the Ministry of Health website.
Alert Level 2/3 border crossings
At Alert Level 3 students and staff are strongly advised to stay where they are unless they have a compelling reason to move and are eligible to travel.
If students or staff wish to travel for personal reasons between Alert Level 3 and Alert Level 2 regions, they need to check whether they are eligible to travel on the Unite Against Covid-19 website.
The full list of permitted reasons, and what evidence people need, is on the Unite Against Covid-19 website. If they don’t meet the permitted criteria they may apply for an exemption on the Ministry of Health website.
Information about travel across the Auckland regional boundary for work reasons, including what is permitted and how to apply for an exemption if necessary, is available on the Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment website.
Information for people who have visited Auckland
The Ministry of Health has advised that students, staff and others that have visited or left Auckland recently do the following:
- Check the locations of interest page to find out if you might have been exposed to COVID-19 by being in the same place at the same time as a confirmed case. If you were potentially exposed, follow the guidance for the particular location of interest, which is on the same page.
- Monitor yourself for symptoms of COVID-19, including some of the less usual symptoms like muscle aches and pains and fatigue. Details of symptoms to look out for are on the Ministry of Health website.
- Keep a record of where you’ve been. Use the COVID Tracer App to scan QR codes and make sure you’ve got Bluetooth turned on in the app. This helps with contact tracing.
- Everyone should follow the Alert Level guidance relevant for where they are staying.
Managed Isolation and Quarantine and Immigration New Zealand changes
Following a recent review of the costs of running Managed Isolation and Quarantine (MIQ), changes are being made to the fees charged to temporary entry visa class holders, including any international students arriving in New Zealand. Full details are available on the MIQ website.
On 23 February 2021, Immigration New Zealand announced they will bring more visa processing onshore and close offices in Mumbai, Manila and Pretoria by March 2021. Full details are available on the Immigration New Zealand website.
If you have questions about how these changes affect the tertiary sector, please get in contact with the Ministry of Education.
COVID-19 testing and treatment
Everyone in New Zealand, including international students, can get free COVID-19 testing and treatment — you do not need to be a New Zealand citizen or resident. This access is irrespective of citizenship, visa status, nationality or level of medical insurance coverage.
You may need to pay for a test if it’s for the purpose of entering another country.
You can find more information about this on the Ministry of Health's website.
Things change quickly so stay up to date by following the links below:
For health advice, please refer to the Ministry of Health’s website.
For cross-agency information about COVID-19, including what support is available, health advice, and travel restrictions visit the All-of-Government website.
- Resources in Te Reo Māori
- Information to support Pacific communities
- Information in sign language and easy read formats
- To keep updated on travel restrictions and visa information.
For additional advice for tertiary providers/whare wānanga visit the Ministry of Education website.
Last Saturday the government announced that from 6am, Sunday, 28 February, the Auckland Region will be at Alert Level 3 and the remainder of New Zealand will be at Alert Level 2, for seven (7) days. You will be familiar with the alert level guidance for tertiary education organisations, and we have confidence that you will continue to implement appropriate measures for your staff and students. However for quick reference on how to operate under different Alert Levels, see Detailed tertiary guidelines for alert levels. Note we have updated some guidance related to tertiary accommodation, set out in the section ‘Detailed guidelines for Tertiary Education Organisations’. This will remain an unsettling time for some. As always, the number one priority remains the welfare of students and staff and ensuring that they remain safe and well during this time. Providers are reminded of their international and domestic pastoral code obligations. The Ministry of Health website contains a useful range of mental health and wellbeing resources your staff might need for themselves or to assist students, view on the website. Manukau Institute of Technology (MIT) As you know, a new case of COVID-19 (Case M) has been identified as an MIT student. Our thoughts are with the MIT community and we thank them for all the leadership they are showing through this process. Ministry of Health has advised that under Alert Level 3 all MIT students should stay home and close contacts will be followed up by Public Health staff. You can check for updates on the Ministry of Health’s COVID-19: Contact tracing locations of interest, available on the Ministry of Health website. Detailed guidelines for Tertiary Education Organisations As a result of the recent change to alert levels, we have updated some guidance relating to students’ movements in and out of accommodation. Tertiary accommodation advice for Alert Level Three Tertiary accommodation advice for Alert Level Two Yesterday, the government announced that from 11:59pm, Sunday 14 February 2021 the Auckland Region will be at Alert Level 3 and the remainder of New Zealand will be at Alert Level 2, for 72 hours. This is to ensure that we prevent the virus from spreading in our community. You will be familiar with the alert level guidance for tertiary education organisations, however a quick reference on how to operate under different Alert Levels is available on the Ministry of Education’s website. The number one priority remains the welfare of staff and students, and ensuring that they remain safe and well during this time. The Ministry of Health website contains a useful range of mental health and wellbeing resources your staff might need for themselves or to assist students. The guiding principles for all alert levels for tertiary education organisations are found on the Ministry's website. As per government advice the following is worth noting: The guiding principles at Alert Level 3 for tertiary education organisations in the Auckland region are: What this means for your staff What this means for your students On 14 January 2021, the Government approved an exception class for 1,000 bachelor’s degree level and above tertiary international students to return to New Zealand and continue their studies. These students need to hold or have held a valid visa to study in 2020 and have studied in New Zealand in 2019, or 2020 towards their current qualification and be returning to study with their current provider. This exception provides the sector a further opportunity to welcome back international students and delivers on a part of the Government’s long-term recovery plan for the international education sector. The Government will continue to work with the sector to consider how suitable models can be developed to bring in more students over time as and when it is safe to do so. Capacity at MIQ will remain a significant consideration in any further exceptions and International Education also needs to be considered alongside a number of competing priority sectors. Providers should take a conservative approach to planning for 2021 and prepare for a range of scenarios. To be eligible for this border exception students will need to Priority will be given to students who are closest to graduation. Students will need to undertake the border exception process with Immigration New Zealand. Entry for these students will be phased and dependent on the availability of space in our managed isolation and quarantine facilities to ensure their arrival does not impact on the ability of New Zealander citizens and residents to return home. All students entering New Zealand will comply with Government advice and regulation relating to COVID-19, which includes a 14-day managed isolation period in Government facilities, payment of the isolation charges and relevant mandatory COVID-19 testing. Students will need to book their space through the allocation system and are will be responsible for the standard charges for managed isolation. Students with questions about this border exception should contact their providers in the first instance. The Ministry will work directly with Peak Body representatives to manage the process. Read the Minister’s announcement. View information from the Ministry of Education.Update: 1 March 2021: COVID-19 Update
Update: 15 February 2021: COVID-19 Update - Alert Level change
Update: 15 January 2021: Border exception for some returning international tertiary students
COVID-19 Update - Border exception for some returning international tertiary students
Eligibility criteria and process