COVID-19 Update: What OMICRON and Traffic Light Red means for HBH
Sunday 23rd January, 2022
Dear Families and Residents,
What OMICRON and Traffic Light Red means for HBH and our services this week.
You will all be aware, that this morning the Government announced that Omicron is in the community. At midnight tonight all of New Zealand moves to Traffic Light Red.
Here at HBH we have been planning for this, so that we can keep our residents and our staff as safe as possible.
For now, we want to let you know what Omicron being in the community and the shift to traffic light red means for the coming week:
1. Care facilities
a. No visiting into care facilities from 11pm tonight for 3 days
As you are aware the residents of our care services are frail and particularly susceptible to serious outcomes from Covid-19, even if vaccinated. We therefore want to take extra care as we begin to deal with Omicron.
We are therefore locking down the residential care services for 3 days from 11pm tonight (Sunday 23rd January). This will enable us to prepare for outdoor visiting (see below), assess the community spread, and await any specific instructions from the Ministry of Health.
b. Outdoor visiting only from Thursday 27th January until at least Monday 7th February
After our short lockdown we will shift to outdoor visiting again from Thursday 27th January. We will send you information on how to book a visit this week. Please note – a vaccine pass will be required for outdoor visiting.
c. No resident outings until after Sunday, 6th February
As we assess the spread of Omicron there will be no resident outings, except for medical appointments, until Sunday 6thFebruary.
2. Day Programme
This will continue under current precautions.
3. 139 on Union Apartments and Stevenson Village residents
Residents may have visitors as per current arrangements but visitors must not enter through the care facilities. Hairdressing as per current arrangements.
Please pass this information onto anyone you know who might visit your resident, just in case we do not have a friend or family member on our database. Thank you.
We know that any kind of restrictions on visiting are not ideal, and we do not intend to have these restrictions for any longer than is necessary. Our goal is to keep everyone – residents, staff and family members – as safe as possible with this highly contagious version of Covid-19. Doing these things this week keeps everyone safe while the situation with Omicron becomes clearer.
Thank you in advance for your co-operation and your kindness towards our staff.
Bonnie Robinson
CEO
23 January 2022
