He kupu āwhina i ngā marae | Guidance for marae
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Kia haumaru te mahi | Play it safe
Make sure whānau stay home if māuiui. If whānau have cold or flu symptoms, contact a GP, Māori health provider or freephone Healthline on 0800 358 5453 or 0800 611 116 to get tested for COVID-19.
Keep communal areas and frequently touched surfaces clean, such as paepae, areas where kai is prepared and served, bathrooms, tables, chairs and door handles.
Make sure handwashing facilities are available and maintain safe physical distancing where possible. If people can not maintain physical distance from those they do not know, we encourage wearing a face covering.
Planning
Marae should be prepared for changes in Alert Levels. We recommend having a plan in place for how the marae can operate and keep whānau safe during Alert Levels 4, 3 or 2.
- At Alert Level 4, marae will be closed.
- At Alert Level 3, marae may open but gatherings will be restricted to 10 people.
- At Alert Level 2, marae may open but gatherings are restricted 100 people.
Te Pae Mataara 2 | Alert Level 2
Marae can open and hold gatherings at Alert Level 2, with up to 100 people in a defined space. A marae can have multiple defined spaces of 100 people, provided there is no contact between them in or around the marae.
If marae cannot operate safely at Alert Level 2 they may choose to close.
Whānau, hapū and iwi may need to adapt their tikanga and kawa to meet Alert Level 2 restrictions.
Requirements for tangihangi at Alert Level 2
Requirements for gatherings and events
At all gatherings, keep each other safe by maintaining physical distancing of 1 metre. This means using greetings that don’t require physical contact, instead of hongi, harirū, kissing or hugging, with people you don’t live with or who are outside your whānau.
How to maintain physical distance
Preparing and serving kai
Before any gathering, clean all surfaces where kai will be prepared and served including benches, tables and chairs. Use disinfectant and if surfaces look visibly dirty, clean them first before disinfecting.
Serve kai on plates in individual portions for each person. Do not serve food buffet-style or on a shared table. Make sure people do not share food or drinks, cups, plates or cutlery.
Contact tracing
The organiser of a gathering at a marae legally must record attendees to make sure contact tracing can happen if needed. You do not need to do this if every person at the gathering knows each other. To play it safe, keep records even if everyone knows each other.
Marae can use the official NZ COVID Tracer App for contact tracing.
Get an NZ COVID Tracer App QR code poster
Health and safety
Marae will need to implement a Health and Safety Plan and other measures. The Health and Safety plan must be displayed and communicated to all attendees. Contact your local hauora or Māori health provider for help with health and safety.
Taking bookings and holding events
Marae can take bookings for events such as conferences or business meetings at Alert Level 2.
If a business or service hires a marae for an event, Alert Level 2 requirements for businesses apply.
Alert Level 2 requirements for businesses
If food is served by the marae for any event, hospitality requirements apply.
Hospitality requirements at Alert Level 2
Defined space
A defined space is a single indoor or outdoor space separated from other spaces.
If a place has more than 1 defined space, people can not intermingle between the defined places. This includes when entering, leaving, or using the toilet. It does not include workers.
Te Pae Mataara 1 | Alert Level 1
There are no restrictions on gatherings at marae at Alert Level 1. Hui, tangihanga, hura kōhatu, huringa tau and other gatherings can go ahead.
It’s important to stay vigilant, even at Alert Level 1. Kia mataara tātou.
Continue to provide appropriate hand washing facilities and make sure attendees keep up good hand washing practices. Keep frequently touched surfaces and objects clean, and make sure whānau stay home if māuiui.
If whānau have cold or flu symptoms, contact a GP, Māori health provider or freephone Healthline on 0800 358 5453 or 0800 611 116 to get tested for COVID-19.
Contact tracing
We recommend the organiser of a gathering at a marae record attendees. Marae can use the official NZ COVID Tracer App for contact tracing.
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