Provider guidance for all COVID-19 settings
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Government vaccination mandate changes
All remaining Government vaccine mandates ended at 11:59pm, 26 September 2022. Some employers may still require workers to be vaccinated due to their responsibilities under health and safety legislation.
Staff vaccination
Employers may still be able to maintain vaccination requirements for their staff. Any vaccination requirements must continue to be supported by a work health and safety risk assessment, but these circumstances are likely to be more limited than they have in the past.
Assessments should reflect the latest public health information and advice to determine what controls are appropriate in their workplaces, which could include implementing a staff vaccination requirement. Any previously completed assessments should be reviewed to reflect the latest guidance.
Guidance on undertaking a work health and safety assessment is available from WorkSafe New Zealand, including the updated public health advice.
Vaccine passes
My Vaccine Passes are no longer mandatory.
Providers may choose to continue using vaccine passes as a condition of entry to their premises if they would like to. However, vaccine passes cannot be required for clients of non-vaccine pass services.
Record-keeping
There is no longer any requirement to scan in or for a provider to either:
- display a QR code
- have mandatory record keeping.
However, providers may choose to keep records if they would like.
Additional requirements differ depending on the services you provide.
Critical wellbeing services
These are services:
- provided under the Oranga Tamariki Act
- that support people to maintain critical well-being
- that offer crisis support for people who are unsafe or homeless.
Examples of critical wellbeing services include family violence and sexual violence crisis response services, and welfare support for those self-isolating.
Some critical wellbeing services might provide services in close proximity, but they are not included in the close-proximity services rules. Social services that deliver critical wellbeing services (legally referred to as ‘Specified Social Services’) are excluded from the close-proximity business and service definition.
Staff vaccination
Effective 26 September 2022, there are no Government vaccination mandates.
Employers may still be able to maintain vaccination requirements, where these continue to be supported by a work health and safety risk assessment, but these circumstances are likely to be more limited than they have in the past.
You can get guidance on undertaking a work health and safety assessment from WorkSafe New Zealand.
COVID-19 controls at work: Employer vaccination requirements – WorkSafe
Vaccine passes
It is optional for vaccine passes to be required for clients at all levels, unless your service is a non-vaccine pass service. These cannot require vaccine passes for clients.
Some factors providers should consider in making this decision may include:
- your capability or capacity to safely provide services to unvaccinated clients, which may include having different operating models in place at the same time
- the ability of unvaccinated clients to access that service elsewhere in their area should a vaccine pass be used as a condition of service.
- the outcome of your updated work health and safety risk assessment under the Health and Safety Act.
Close-proximity services
Close-proximity businesses and services are businesses and services that can’t be undertaken without physical contact, or close proximity, including workers being within one metre of clients.
If your service provides critical wellbeing services, please see 'Critical wellbeing services'.
Social service providers or organisations should consider, based on their service model, whether they provide close-proximity services. An example of a close-proximity service may include driving instruction, some OSCAR programmes or transporting service participants.
Vaccine passes
Vaccine passes are no longer required.
Providers should carry out their own risk assessments to ensure their Health and Safety obligations at work are met.
Businesses and services must display if vaccine passes are required.
Staff vaccination
Staff vaccination is no longer required, unless staff are subject to the health and disability mandate.
Social services providers or organisations should carry out risk assessments under the Health and Safety at Work Act to determine whether it is appropriate to require staff to be vaccinated.
Masks
While generally masks are no longer required anywhere, except when visiting certain healthcare facilities like hospitals, GPs, pharmacies and aged care residential facilities, providers should carry out their own risk assessments to ensure their Health and Safety obligations at work are met.
OSCAR
Masks
For OSCAR providers masks are no longer required except in the following situations
- when working with disabled children and immuno-compromised children
- when transporting children in a vehicle.
Vaccine passes
Vaccine passes for participants is prohibited for all OSCAR services.
Staff vaccination
Please refer to OSCAR subsector guidance
Non close-proximity services
These are services that are not:
- close-proximity services
- social services
- food and drink businesses or services, or gyms.
Examples of non-close-proximity services are counselling services and employment services.
Vaccine passes
It is optional for vaccine passes to be required unless the organisation deems it necessary following a risk assessment.
Staff vaccination
Staff vaccination is not required unless the organisation has decided staff are required to be vaccinated following a risk assessment under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015.
