COVID-19 | Sector Update from Sport NZ | 1 December 2021

Kia ora koutou, 

Following on from Friday’s update, we are pleased to now issue the full COVID-19 Protection Framework (CPF) guidance for the play, active recreation and sport sector.  

Sport NZ CPF guidance 
Sport NZ’s full guidance is available on our website here. The existing alert level guidance and new CPF guidance can be found on our site in tandem, noting we do not transition to the new CPF until Friday 3 December. It is important to note the new guidelines include key definitions on gatherings versus events as set out in the Government order. 

Information and support 
We know there will be ongoing questions that emerge in translating these guidelines into your operational settings. On Thursday and Friday at 11am this week, we are standing up drop-in sessions to assist with any immediate questions.  Please click the invite link below to join:  

Frequently asked questions are being gathered and loaded into the COVID-19 section of our website here. Please check this document regularly as we will update it often. We are also working on fact sheets to support implementation on specific topics. In the meantime, you can contact your Partnership Manager for support and also send questions to: Covid19response@sportnz.org.nz. This inbox or attending the drop in sessions are the fastest way to get the support you need.  

Regional ‘traffic light’ settings  
The country will transition to the CPF at 11.59pm on 2 December 2021. For confirmed regional ‘traffic light’ settings please see the COVID-19 website. These settings will be reviewed on Monday 13 December. 
 
RED: Northland, Auckland, Taupō and Rotorua Lakes Districts, Kawerau, Whakatane, Ōpōtiki Districts, Gisborne District, Wairoa District, Rangitikei, Whanganui and Ruapehu Districts will move in at red. 

ORANGE: The rest of the North Island and the whole of the South Island will move in at orange.
  
Thank you again for your support and input into the implementation of the CPF. Knowing in advance the different contexts and operational complexities involved has helped us shape the guidance and support you more effectively. It’s important we work together in this next phase to ensure grassroots organisations are fully able to interpret and use the guidance to enable participation. If there is anything more we can do in this respect, please let us know. 

COVID-19 toolkit and resources 
Thank you to Aktive – Auckland Sport and Recreation for sharing their COVID-19 Resource Hub. You can use this resource to access a number of excellent toolkits and guides which organisations can tailor for their own use including: 

  • Vaccination Toolkit
  • Vaccination Decision Making Guide  
  • Risk Assessment 
  • COVID-19 Policy  
  • COVID-19 Get ready guide 

Sport NZ Monthly MIQ Allocation for Individuals 
Sport NZ has recently been allocated 20 Managed Isolation Quarantine (MIQ) places per month, starting in December 2021, for individuals who meet the criteria and have been unable to secure an MIQ booking through the MIAS virtual lobby.
 
This does not replace MIQ bookings via MIAS. Everyone who wants an MIQ place should continue to make every effort to book through the virtual lobby each week. This allocation enables Sport NZ to help facilitate the return of athletes who have been unable to book MIQ.  We expect demand to exceed the 20 rooms available for us to allocate, so we will prioritise applicants against the published criteria.   

Criteria for individual MIQ allocations; 

  • Traveller must be a New Zealand citizen, normally resident in New Zealand, AND
  • Provides evidence that all other avenues for MIQ booking have been tried and will continue to attempt via MIAS lobby, AND 
  • Travel is endorsed by relevant National Sporting Organisation, AND 
  • the individual must be required to travel to represent New Zealand at elite senior level in major international events; e.g. Olympics, Paralympics, Commonwealth Games, or pinnacle event for their sportOR 
  • return home from having represented New Zealand at major international pinnacle events before October 2021 (e.g. Tokyo 2020 Olympics or Paralympics)OR 
  • represent New Zealand at elite senior level for a selection event, where they can demonstrate that international travel is required in order to maintain ranking or selection for major international pinnacle events  OR 
  • participate in pinnacle event for their sport, if the individual is a professional athlete. 

More information about this process is available at this link

Requests for consideration for January and February 2022 MIQ spaces are now open, please submitted requests via the online form above by 5pm on 6 December 2021.    

If you have any questions related to international travel for athletes and teams then feel free to contact us at: internationaltravel@sportnz.org.nz

Ngā mihi,  
Raelene Castle