Covid-19 information
This page summarises our guidelines around Covid-19 now the Government has lifted all remaining mandatory public health requirements.
- No masks are needed on any of our campuses, including all teaching and public spaces.
- No masks are needed at any of our teaching sites located across the country.
- Masks do need to be worn at our Dunedin-based, Student Health Centre.
- Masks remain an important way to prevent the spread of respiratory illnesses. Individuals are very welcome to keep wearing a mask anywhere they’d like to – we fully support this and continue to have masks available for our ākonga and kaimahi.
- It is recommended that, ākonga (learners) or kaimahi (staff) who test positive for Covid-19, should isolate for five days, even if you only have mild symptoms. This starts at day 0, which is the day your symptoms started or when you tested positive, whichever came first.
- Ākonga need to let their lecturer or school administrator know they are isolating.
- Kaimahi need to let their formal leader know.
- If you need to leave home during your isolation period, please take precautions to prevent spreading Covid-19 to others. You should wear a mask whenever you leave the house. You should not visit a healthcare facility (except to access medical care), an aged residential facility, or have contact with anyone at risk of getting seriously unwell with Covid-19.
- After completing your isolation:
- if your symptoms have resolved and you feel well, you can return to your normal activities
- if you still feel unwell, we recommend you stay home until you have recovered
- we recommend you wear a mask if you visit a healthcare facility or an aged residential care facility, or you have contact with anyone at risk of getting seriously unwell with Covid-19 up until 10 days after your symptoms started or you tested positive.
Household contacts
Household contacts of a person who has tested positive for Covid-19, but who don't have symptoms themselves, do not need to test for five days with a RAT.
Only household contacts who develop one or more Covid-19 symptoms are recommended to stay home and test for the virus.
Testing with a RAT is recommended if a person is presenting the following symptoms: a runny nose, sore throat, cough, fever, vomiting, diarrhoea, loss of smell or taste, and/or shortness of breath.
- Please stay at home if you feel unwell.
- If you, or someone in your household develops one of more of the following symptoms, you should take a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT): runny nose, sore throat, cough, fever, vomiting, diarrhoea, headache, loss of smell or taste, shortness of breath.
Healthy people aged 16-29 can have 1 additional dose.
To get an additional dose, you must have had at least your first two Covid-19 immunisations.
It is recommended that you wait at least six months since your last Covid-19 vaccine or infection.
Find out more about who can get a booster here.
See where you can get your Covid booster here.
- Government vaccine mandates are no longer required from Tuesday 27 September 2022 - this means you will no longer need to supply evidence of your Covid-19 vaccination status to apply for our health programmes. However, most placement providers will require evidence from you that you're fully vaccinated. Placements are an integral part of our health programmes and you'll need to complete these to be able to successfully achieve your qualification. Not being able to provide evidence of vaccination may affect you being able to complete your chosen qualification.
- Placements and work experience are an integral part of many other programmes too. Students need to complete these practical elements of a qualification to successfully achieve it and some placement/work experience providers may want to see evidence of your vaccination status. Our objective is to support your success in whatever qualification you enrol in but this is also dependent on you meeting requirements set by third party placement providers. We cannot guarantee you a placement if you do not meet these requirements.
Our student support teams are available for any support needs our learners may have. You can find contact details and resources here.
Any questions?
Please reach out to our Student Support team if you have any questions, worries or concerns. No question is silly - no concern is too small.
