Two cases in Taranaki

· We know this will worry some people but we need to keep calm and follow Ministry of Health advice.

· It’s important to note these cases came from overseas.

· They weren’t picked up here in Taranaki.

· Taranaki’s Public Health Unit has confirmed that a male and female both in their 40s, who have recently arrived in Taranaki after visiting Egypt have tested positive for COVID-19. Neither attended the WOMAD festival.

· They are recovering at home in isolation.

· We need to continue to unite against COVID-19; be kind and provide support to our friends, whanau and colleagues.

Waitara

· A staff member at the Waitara library has been identified as a person who could have been in contact with a suspected CV19 case.

· As a precaution, she has gone into self-isolation this morning and registered with the Ministry of Health (MOH).

· We made the call to shut the Waitara Library as a precautionary measure to allow cleaning and disinfection to take place.

· Those who have been to the library this week should contact the MOH free Healthline number 0800 611 116 or visit www.moh.govt.nz

Overview

· We’re continuing to monitor the situation very closely and follow advice from MOH, who are leading the response.

· We understand the Government is going to release new advice about mass gatherings today.

· We’re being guided by MOH guidelines while working closely with TDHB and TEMO.

· We know it’s an unsettling time but our continued focus is delivering core services while at the same time looking after our staff.

· We have plans in place to continue to deliver core services, this includes some staff working from home if necessary.

Top prevention tips

Cough into your elbow or cover your mouth with tissues.

Wash your hands with soap and water often.

Avoid handshakes, hongi and hugs.

Stay at home if you feel unwell and get in touch with your manager.

For more information and top prevention tips visit: https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/diseases-and-conditions/covid-19-novel-coronavirus

Business planning

Our focus is on continuing to deliver core services while preparing.

We’ve got a business continuity plan in place and a team set up to manage the situation.

It’s about keeping our core services – water, rubbish, roads etc – operational if it arrives.

Staff are being asked to follow MOH advice and to avoid unnecessary risks.

Staff are being asked to cut back on non-essential domestic travel for meetings, seminars and conferences.

We are assessing requests to work from home on a case by case basis and have the capability to do so.

We are monitoring the situation very closely.

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