Phase 3 at a glance
My Vaccine Pass and attending a DairyNZ event
From 11.59pm Friday 25 March, where a My Vaccine Pass is used, DairyNZ events hosted outdoors will have no limit on attendee numbers, with indoor events limited to 200 people. Wearing of face masks is not required outside.
From 11.59pm Monday 4 April, DairyNZ events will operate without the need to present a My Vaccine Pass
COVID-19 Protection Framework, otherwise known as the traffic light system.
The COVID-19 Protection Framework will affect all regions in New Zealand. The Ministry for Primary Industries has provided guidance for working under the new COVID-19 protection framework for businesses in the primary sector. Here you can find guidance on working safely on farm under this new framework, best practice to reduce the risk of COVID-19 reaching your farm.
For more information and guidance for primary sector businesses, visit the Ministry for Primary Industries web page.
Testing and returning to work during Omicron
Learn more about the testing and isolation requirements at each phase.
Register as a critical business
Meeting the critical sector criteria through food production and manufacturing, dairy farmers may choose to register as a critical business. Registering allows household contacts of a COVID-19 case to be able to continue to come to work during the required isolation period under the Close Contact Exemption Scheme. Workers who are participating in the scheme will be able to collect free Rapid Antigen Test kits.
Learn more about the Close Contact Exemption Scheme.
Proof of vaccination
We encourage farmers to complete their My Vaccine Pass, which will provide proof of your vaccination record for use in New Zealand. If you are fully vaccinated, or have a temporary medical exemption, you can request a Vaccine Pass from mycovidrecord.nz.
You will be legally required to provide your Vaccine Pass to enter places which must have vaccination requirements in place in order to operate under the current traffic light setting. This includes hospitality venues, events and gatherings who are choosing to operate with a vaccination requirement. You may be required to provide your vaccine pass at other businesses if they choose to require My Vaccine Pass, including retail.
DairyNZ events that are run in-person will require a proof of vaccination for entry, in accordance with the guidelines set by the government under the COVID-19 protection framework. At all settings, a My Vaccine Pass is required for staff and external attendees at offsite events or meetings where DairyNZ is the host or co-host. This enables DairyNZ to continue events under all traffic light settings.
DairyNZ also run many events online for virtual attendance, which we encourage those farmers without vaccine passes who wish to be included to attend.
Tips for working under the new COVID-19 protection framework
It is essential that farmers take the necessary precautions under the new COVID-19 protection framework and do everything in their control to reduce the chances of having close, casual and secondary contacts on farm. See the COVID-19 website for more information on the different contact types.
Whether you or an employee are a close, casual or secondary contact to a positive case will be determined by Ministry of Health tracing staff, who will consider the following:
- How close people are to each other - the further apart the better (minimum two meters).
- Duration of the exposure – how long they been working in close proximity to the positive contact.
- Whether they were inside or outside at the time of the contact – the better the ventilation, the less risk.
- Mask wearing – whether masks were used, properly fitted, and regularly changed.
- Vaccination status – of both the positive case and anyone that may be deemed a contact.
Encourage your employees to get vaccinated, wear a mask, and maintain their distance while they work – and stick to well-ventilated or outdoor areas when working with others.
Having two separate bubbles is a great way to be able to maintain farm operations, in the event that there is a case in one bubble. Generally, the other bubble would not be affected as long as there is good ventilation in indoor spaces, with masks worn and fully vaccinated staff.
For any questions
- phone us on 0800 4 324 7969
- email us at info@dairynz.co.nz
- phone your local consulting officer
If you need help now, phone Rural Support Trust on 0800 787 254.
Common questions and answers
Expand each section below to read questions and answers grouped by theme.
Supporting your farm team
In this time of uncertainty, it’s a good idea to check in frequently with your team and understand the questions they have about the effects of COVID-19 and its potential impact on your farm.
For any support or questions, you can get in touch with your local DairyNZ team
How are you set up as things evolve?
Don’t forget about your networks of farming friends and family - it might be useful to check in virtually around how you might support each other. Keep up to date with developments and advice from the Ministry of Health. It is worth having a think about how your business will deal with different scenarios.
Please look after yourselves and your families and once again, we are in this together.
