Press Releases, COVID-19

Covid-19 CID update April 8

Posted on 08 April 2020

For reading the latest CID newsletter, click here.

News and Resources

  • TC Harold (Solomons, Vanuatu & Fiji) 

The CID Humanitarian Network will be holding another daily meeting at 2:00pm this afternoon, with MFAT also attending.

 TC Harold crossed Vanuatu overnight as a Cat 5 storm, directly hitting the islands of Espiritu Santo, Ambrym, Malo, Malekula, Epi and Pentecost, causing significant damage. TC Harold has re-intensified to a Cat 5 system and is moving east at approximately 28km/hr, and is likely to directly impact the southern coastlines of Viti Levu from this morning onwards. Nadi is expected to experience severe impacts. TC Harold is then expected to continue moving east-southeast, passing south of Tonga (Tongatapu) early Thursday morning. There are currently no recorded COVID-19 cases in Vanuatu, but many Pacific nations have already sealed their borders to prepare for a pandemic. The Vanuatu National Disaster Management Office has confirmed they will likely renew their COVID-19 state of emergency when it ends 9 April,  and manage associated risks while facilitating the TC Harold response.

  • NZ Govt COVID-19 Pacific Response Package

Here is the official announcement by NZ Government, and here is the video of Tagata Pasifika talanoa with Hon  Jenny Salesa   

  • CID Webinar Get your COVID-19 legal questions answered with PerryField lawyers today at 3.00 pm

     

  • Charities are expecting huge losses as a result of COVID-19

    “Over 20 people a day are cancelling their regular giving, or putting it on hold for the meantime, so we expect that our income will be down 30 percent," said UNICEF CEO, Viv Maidaborn on RNZ. It would result in less money going overseas, she said. "There's a lot to be worried about there because, of course, we are very connected to the Pacific - Covid-19 is catastrophic in some countries in the Pacific where they don't have health systems like ours.”

  • ICVA/ UNHCR Webinar/ Meeting

UNHCR Dialogue with Regional NGOs on COVID-19 Response - The UNHCR Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific in collaboration with Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network (APRRN) and International Council of Voluntary Agencies (ICVA) is pleased to invite you to the “Dialogue with Regional NGOs on COVID-19 Response”. The agenda is as follows:

  1. General overview and impact
  2. Overview of NGOs Response and advocacy support efforts
  3. Regional Protection environment (Key Messages /Rights/Advocacy/Urban settings/Sustainability)
  4. Special Measures for Partnership Agreements related to COVID-19
  5. Question and Answer Session
  6. AoB

When: 09 April, Thursday from 10:30 to 12:00 BKK Time

Where: remotely through Microsoft Teams  - Join Microsoft Teams Meeting. Since UNHCR are using a digital platform to convene the meeting, they encourage you to have one participant from each NGO, and it is recommended to have the most senior staff join the meeting. 

If you wish to join please RSVP to awadm@unhcr.org  

FAQs from INGOs

Let us know your questions and we will try and find out answers for you. Email questions to office@cid.org.nz

Here is the latest official advice from MSD (with thanks to the MFAT team for their help) 

  • What should staff or New Zealanders do if still in-country?

New Zealanders requesting advice should in the first instance try to contact the respective New Zealand Embassy/High Commission, details are available via this link. Should urgent assistance be required we have a 24/7 consular emergency number: 0800 30 10 30 or +64 99 20 20 20.  We would encourage all New Zealanders based offshore to register on SafeTravel if they have not yet done so already. This will ensure they can receive important consular updates. Updates on border Covid-19 related border restrictions are available via the International Air Transport Association (IATA) website.

  • Do INGOs need to enter an NZBN? 

If you’re applying for leave or wage subsidies, INGOs do not have to enter an NZBN (New Zealand Business Number). Please see the note from MFAT (Thanks, Nick!): The NZBN number now no longer a required field – please see the amended application form here.

  • If I’m an employer of a registered charity, incorporated society, non-government organisation, or post-settlement governance entity am I entitled to apply for the wage subsidy for my employees?

Yes, you can apply for the wage subsidy if your business has been adversely affected as a result of COVID-19 and you are struggling to retain your employees.

  • If I’m an employer of a registered charity, incorporated society, non-government organisation, or post-settlement governance entity am I entitled to apply for the leave payment for my employees?

Yes, you can apply for the leave payment if your employees are required to self-isolate because of Ministry of Health Guidelines and cannot work from home. Employees may not be able to work from home because:

  1. of the nature of their occupation e.g. tradespeople or you cannot provide employees with the ability to work from home e.g. no access to laptops.
  2. they have been diagnosed with COVID-19
  3. they are caring for dependents.
  • Can INGOs be counted as ‘essential services’ so we can continue fundraising and mail outs? 

At the moment this is not clear, but the list of essential services is not fixed and CID will continue to follow up MFAT and others to make the case that INGOs need to fundraise to be in a position to respond in the Pacific. Check the newsletter for updates from MSD. 

  • Are INGOs eligible to access the leave and wage subsidies from the government? 

INGOs can access the leave and sick pay extensions for staff and even contractors – as long as each person is legally employed. All indications are that if INGOs fit the criteria, they can apply for the wage subsidy too (eg they can prove they have lost 30% of revenue compared with the same time last year. Check the CID COVID-19 updates for contacts and links to follow up directly on behalf of your organisation.

Events/Key dates

 

CID members update - Let us know any updates from your organisation

Good Travel

Good Travel have postponed all of their trips until they know that it is safe and responsible for people to travel again. GOOD Travel was set up because “we care about people and we believe in the power that tourism has to empower people, to inspire people, to connect people and to create new opportunities and livelihoods within communities". They’ll be sharing pictures, stories, articles and more through our #virtualtravel series and hope you’ll join them as they continue to explore and celebrate our world, and as they endeavour to stay connected and positive during this challenging time

Fred Hollows Foundation NZ

The Auckland-based staff at The Fred Hollows Foundation NZ began working from home on 23 March 2020 following PM announcement on 21 March. All Auckland-based were transitioned to working from home as of 26 March. As of 27 March states of emergency have been declared across all countries where we have established presences. Clinical settings have shifted to emergency footing with only the most urgent, sight-threatening conditions being treated. Where possible, senior colleagues are working with our health partners to support their planning and preparations for addressing COVID-19 in their countries. While clinical staff are on emergency rosters, our managerial, administration, programme and support staff, and this includes all staff in Auckland, are complying with the emergency directives of host countries and currently working from home. We expect to continue with this practice over the month of April until we can better understand the longer-term in relation to the COVID-19 emergency.

Fairtrade

Staff are working well from home and are well connected to receive any queries and/or communications by email at info@fairtrade.com.au / info@fairtrade.org.nz. Except for on-the-ground tasks in the Pacific, all other work is almost functioning as usual, but remotely.  Their priority right now is ensuring staff remain safe and their well-being is well addressed, to priorities activities that they can prosecute ourselves such as strengthening licensees and linking with Fairtrade International to track impacts on producers and sales.

Global Development Group

Global Development Group has temporarily ceased all non-essential travel – both international and domestic – and all our project administrators and volunteers have cancelled their trips, returned home, or are in the process of returning home to then enjoy two weeks of self-isolation ‘holidays’. Our volunteer staff are continuing to work from home, with connectivity through normal work email, and with back office support from our Australian office. 

Habitat for Humanity

Habitat have developed contingency plans, devised systems that will allow our staff to work from home, and halted all overseas travel arrangements for now. “We have made the difficult decision to cancel all Global Village builds until June and continue to support our regional offices with information and resources,” says CEO Alan Thorpe.

VSA

VSA has temporarily paused all overseas programmes and is in the process of bringing all volunteers back to NZ. Most have now returned and are being placed in self-isolation. A full working from home trial was undertaken, and the Wellington office is moving to reduced staffing from next week with a number of staff working remotely. All have connectivity through normal work e-mail.

Hagar

Hagar staff will be working from home after this week, and programmes have changed to cease person to person contact, and shift to phone and social media contact. 

Tearfund

The Tearfund team will prepare from this Monday to Wednesday to close the office from Thursday 26 March and staff will work from home. “We will spend the next three day preparing to run all Tearfund’s services to supporters largely without the office from Thursday,” says CEO Ian McInnes

 Ākina 

Everyone is now working from home and our offices are closed.  "We are working on how we can support social enterprises to be resilient at this time and looking at how we can pivot our immediate priorities towards solutions that keep New Zealand's growing social & community enterprise sector strong,” says CEO Louise Aitkin.

CWS

Staff are working from home now.

UNANZ  

Cancelled their twice-yearly National Council face to face meeting over this weekend, but held it very successfully on Google Hangouts with 23 attendees from Prague to Christchurch. The office is closed and President Peter Nichols is working remotely from home.

Save the Children

The Save the Children team tested working from home on Friday and will work from home until further notice. "My main goal is to keep staff safe, support our donors in this time, and provide resources for parents (and government) through our website,” says CEO Heidi Coetzee.

ChildFund

Most of the Childfund team are now working from home and by tomorrow the physical office will be closed until further notice. Staff will work from home, and remain in close contact with their partners, in particular their team in Kiribati, and they are preparing for any response in Tarawa.“We’re striving to maintain business as usual. It’s important we remain flexible and resilient including supporting our people (partners, staff, donors, communities) as much as we can.  Our purpose and mission are unchanged.  Our compassion for each other will get us through this uncertain time,” says CEO Paul Brown.

CBM

CBM will trial 2 days this week of staff working from home (with some compulsory due to recent travel or medical preconditions). Aim to have no more than 25% of staff present at any one time. The office is not closing. Calls will be redirected to staff phones. Priorities are (1) Staying on top of Covid-19 preparedness (2) finishing submissions for Manaaki and starting other projects (3) fundraising and major donor work before the end of FY.

WWF 

WWF will be closing their office at the end of today, and all working for home thereafter. Luckily they had instigated a trial 'work from home Fridays' since November last year, with the following platforms up and running to communicate with each other: Zoom, Slack, Asana. From now on they will have a 15 minute morning check-in meeting at 9 am for the whole organisation. And also set up fun Zoom sessions around lunchtimes, eg what to cook, how to play the guitar, meditate or filet a fish!

 

Counselling Services

Family and Community Services National Directory: 0800 211 211 (This helpline will transfer you to other appropriate services) 
Youthline: Call: 0800 376 633 Text: 234 Email: talk@youthline.co.nz
Or webchat at www.youthline.co.nz (webchat available 7pm – 11pm)
The Low Down (support for young people experiencing depression or anxiety) www.thelowdown.co.nz or Text 5626
Lifeline 24/7 Helpline: 0800 543 354
Mental health Crisis team: 0800 754 477
Need to talk: Free call/ TXT – 1737
Samaritans: 0800 726 666
Depression Helpline: 0800 111 757 or TXT 4202. Email: www.depression.org.nz
Kidsline: 0800543754
Parent help: 0800 568 856

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Health