Latest COVID-19 updates 18 August 2021

Tēnā tātou,

All of New Zealand is in Level 4 until Friday 20th August.

Auckland and Coromandel are under lockdown until till next Tuesday 24th August.

Level 4

• Stay at home in your bubble.
• You can leave home to shop for groceries, access necessary healthcare and get a Covid-19 test.
• You can exercise in your immediate neighborhood but maintain a 2 metre physical distance from people.
• Good hygiene is important - wash your hands frequently.
• More info here

Updates from today

• There are 7 community cases of COVID-19 identified in the community and all link to the NSW Outbreak.
• There are several locations of interest so keep checking here. 
• Masks are mandatory from 11.59 pm tonight for 12 years and above when visiting essential services (supermarket, pharmacies and service stations).
• Full vaccinations start tomorrow - if you have an appointment still attend unless you have been received a call.
• From today, those aged 40+ can book their vaccine at the Book my Vaccine website.
• All businesses are closed except for essential services
• Schools and education facilities are closed.
• All non-essential travel now stopped.  People away from their home when the country moved to alert Level 4 have 48 hours to return.

Government Schemes available to businesses

Wage Subsidy Scheme (WSS) (available via Work and Income)

Applications open 9am on Friday 20 August. The first payments are usually available after three days.

Eligible employers anywhere in the country can apply if they expect a loss of 40 percent revenue as a result of the Alert Level increase.

Businesses will be eligible for:

• $600 per week per full-time equivalent employee, and
• $359 per week per part-time employee.

The Wage Subsidy will be paid as a two-week lump sum. The WSS rates have been increased to reflect the increase in wage costs since the scheme was first used in March 2020.

Leave Support Scheme (available via Work and Income)

Available to employers for employees, and self-employed workers who

• Have been told to self-isolate by a doctor or health official, and
• Cannot work from home

It’s paid as a lump sum and covers two weeks per eligible employee at the rates of:

• $585.80 for each employee working 20 hours or more a week
• $350 for each employee working less than 20 hours a week.

Short Term Absence Payment (available via Work and Income)

Available to employers for employees and self-employed workers who

• Need to miss work to stay at home while waiting on a COVID-19 test result, and
• Cannot work from home

This is a one-off payment of $350 to employers to pay workers who need to stay home while awaiting a test or while someone who is their dependent is doing so.

Resurgence Support Payment (RSP) (Available via MyIR)

Applications for the RSP will open 8am on August 24 (seven days after the lockdown announcement).

Firms that experience a 30 per cent drop in revenue over a seven-day period will be eligible for the RSP.

The RSP is worth up to $1500 plus $400 per full-time equivalent employee, up to a maximum of 50 full-time employees (so up to a total of $21,500).

For example:
You have a business with 3 Full Time Employees (FTE).

You’ve experienced a 30% or more decline in revenue by comparing a 7-day period pre–Alert Level Rise, and a 7-day period at the raised Alert Level.

You could be eligible to receive $2700 = ($1500 (baseline payment) + $400 (FTE) + $400 (FTE) + $400 (FTE)).

However, if your business has a ‘low revenue’ your payment will be capped at four times (4x) the amount your revenue has dropped over the 7-day raised Alert Level period. 

So, if your business has a revenue decline of $500, you would receive an RSP payment of $2000 (4 x $500).

Helpful tools

COVID-19 financial support tool

Because of COVID-19, financial pressure will be a reality for many. Help is available if you are experiencing financial distress.

https://covid19.govt.nz/business-and-money/financial-support/covid-19-financial-support-tool/

Māori business support

For specialist business advice for Māori business owners and employers call 0800 4 POUTAMA (0800 476 882)

Te Arawhiti can help iwi to connect with funding and services to help Māori recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Email IwiResponsePlan@tearawhiti.govt.nz. 

Find out more here on the COVID-19 Business helpline and resources.

Ngā manaakitanga,
NZ Māori Tourism.