News

Essential Information for COVID-19 Alert Level 3 and 4 - Memo #5

Monday, 23 March 2020

Memo #5 - March 23, 2020

Surf Life Saving New Zealand (SLSNZ) in conjunction with Surf Life Saving Northern Region has been working closely with stakeholders and our communities to establish how we can work collaboratively to respond appropriately and effectively to the latest announcements on the COVID-19 response.  As this situation has evolved swiftly we will be continuing to adapt our services and operations to ensure that member and community health and wellbeing is optimized in this difficult time.

The government announced today that New Zealand had reached Alert Level 3 of 4 on the COVID-19 Alert System, with the view to extend this to Level 4 within 48 hrs, i.e. by Wednesday 25 March.

Surf Life Saving New Zealand (SLSNZ) in conjunction with Surf Life Saving Northern Region (SLSNR) request that all clubs and members abide fully with the following requests.

  1. Shut down and secure all clubs by noon Wednesday 25 March, and ensure that all club employees have the resources they need to continue with agreed duties remotely until NZ’s response to COVID-19 is reduced locally or regionally to Level 2 or lower.
  2. Immediately discontinue all lifeguard, surf sport, club and community related operations and activities until further notice.
  3. SLSNZ and SLSNR are currently in discussion with the NZ Police, and local authorities to confirm what SLS services, if any, will be permitted to operate during NZ’s COVID-19 Alert Level 3 and 4 responses. Further details will be announced by 12 noon Tuesday 24 March.
  4. Individual lifeguards are unlikely to have adequate protection to perform CPR safely during NZ’s response to Alert Levels 3 & 4 of COVID-19. The decision to attempt CPR is therefore not advised, instead call 111 for ambulance assistance. Any individual who chooses to attempt CPR should only do so after first assessing the risks to themselves. If CPR is attempted, the lifeguard should immediately self-isolate from all other people and seek advice from Healthline.

SLSNZ and SLSNR would also like to reassure members and clubs that we are:

  1. Both organisations are well placed to support clubs while staff are working from home/ remote locations, and avoiding non-essential travel and face to face contact for the immediate future.
  2. We will continue to monitor our services over the next 4 weeks, and if any changes are required we will keep all stakeholders and partners informed.
  3. All staff remain contactable by phone or email, and have the digital tools in place to enable our work streams to continue as best as possible.

If anyone requires advice or support urgently please make contact with your regional team.

For all queries relating to this Memo, please contact Ross Merrett, Safety, Welfare & Risk Manager, ross.merrett@surflifesaving.org.nz

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For more information please contact,

Melanie Louden
Media and Communications Manager
Surf Life Saving NZ
021 757 433