COVID-19 Information for Māori

This page has updated information on COVID-19 and the vaccine rollout, including information of particular interest to whānau and Māori communities.

COVID-19 update
COVID-19 2021 Whānau Recovery Fund
Vaccine rollout
What’s happening around the motu
Support for Māori Businesses
Support from Whānau Ora agencies
Emergency support, housing & food
Looking after your mental wellbeing
Schooling
He kupu āwhina i ngā marae | Guidance for marae
Funding for iwi representative groups

COVID-19 update

Tāmaki Makaurau is at Alert Level 3.

Temporary Alert Level 3 restrictions apply to Upper Hauraki. The situation in Upper Hauraki will be reviewed daily.

The rest of Aotearoa remains at Alert Level 2.

The next Cabinet Alert Level review is on the 4th of October.

To ensure everyone stays safe, make sure you follow the Alert Level rules. For details on all Alert Level requirements, go to www.covid19.govt.nz.

Alert Level 2 has new limits on how many people can be in retail, supermarkets, bars and restaurants. Wear a mask and scan wherever you go whānau.

Alert Level guidelines for tangihanga are available on the Ministry of Health website.

For guidance on protecting yourself and your whānau from COVID-19 misinformation and scams, please visit the Unite Against COVID website.

For COVID-19 vaccine updates for tangata whaikaha and whānau, disabled people and their carers go to Taikura.

Māori whānau can contact their nearest Māori health provider to see what health and social services they provide. Hauora are also a trusted source of information on the vaccine and vaccine rollout.

North Island Māori health providers
Find Māori health providers operating in your district health board in the North Island. Read more.
South Island Māori health providers
Find Māori health providers operating in your district health board in the South Island. Read more.

COVID-19 2021 Whānau Recovery Fund

The Government has reprioritised up to $5 million to provide immediate relief to vulnerable whānau Māori and communities during the current COVID-19 outbreak focussing on Tāmaki Makaurau, Te Tai Tokerau and Northern Waikato, please contact the appropriate regional office for more information including how to apply.

Vaccine rollout

Everyone aged 12 and over is now eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine.

To make an individual booking, head to the Book My Vaccine website.

To make a whānau booking, call the COVID-19 Vaccination Healthline on 0800 28 29 26.

The Karawhiua website has a wealth of information about the Covid-19 vaccine for whānau and Māori communities. You can also find your nearest vaccination clinic on the website by using the mapping tool.

If you’re a Māori health provider, Iwi or Māori organisation you may also want to use the Karawhiua brand or resources to support your own communications. Find out how on the Karawhiua.nz website.

Protecting our pēpi and tamariki with their childhood immunisations is still important during all alert levels. It’s free. Talk to your family doctor, nurse or contact a Māori health provider to find out more.

What’s happening around the motu

This is a snapshot of what’s happening around the motu. Please continue to register vaccine clinics with Healthline so they are available to everyone.

We welcome timely, essential information for Māori. Email comms@tpk.govt.nz if you have upcoming services you want made public.

North Island - Te Ika a Maui

Tāmaki Makaurau, Northland and North Waikato are being prioritised to get the vaccine. Check with your local hauora health clinic and use the Karawhiua mapping tool to find one near you.
Tāmaki Makaurau whānau still need to get tested if they have been near a location of interest and are feeling māuiui or sick.
Te Arawa is continuing to run drive-thru vaccination clinics in Rotorua and outreach clinics in the wider Bay of Plenty. Find the locations and dates on the Te Arawa COVID-19 Response website.
Te Tai Whenua o Heretaunga is running a COVID-19 vaccination drive-thru clinic.
Tui Ora is continuing to run vaccination clinics throughout the week in Taranaki. Visit their Facebook for updates of clinic locations and times.
Ngāti Hine Health Trust in Te Tai Tokerau is providing vaccinations at numerous locations around the rohe, and walk-ins are welcome.
Te Whānau o Waipareira, Papakura, and Manurewa marae are doing walk in vaccinations for Māori whānau – go visit them today.
Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei West Auckland’s vaccination centre is open.
Check out the dates for the Te Ha Oranga vaccination clinic in Dargaville, Waipoua, and Te Kopuru.
Te Hau Ora o Ngāpuhi and Hato Hone St John are rolling out a new weekly mobile outreach clinic from Kaikohe to isolated communities and elderly. Check out their Facebook for more information.
Ngā Whare Waatea runs a Foodbank for areas around Mangere - you will need to be living in this area. Go to their website to make an appointment.
The Māori Food Network, set up by Taumata Kōrero, has provided 25 tonnes of food to whānau in Tāmaki Makaurau.

South Island - Te Wai Pounamu

Te Kotahi o Te Tauihu Charitable Trust is a collaboration of the eight iwi of Te Tauihu (top of the South). They’re working to ensure as many Māori as possible receive the vaccine, check them out today.

Support for Māori Businesses

The Government is providing businesses with help in a range of ways.

Māori businesses can apply for the COVID-19 Wage Subsidy to pay employees and protect jobs impacted by Alert Level 4. Find out more here.
If your business has had reduced revenue in Alert Level 2 or higher you may be eligible for the Resurgence Support Payment. Apply now for the RSP.
If your business meets the eligibility criteria you can also apply for the Leave Support Scheme which will pay workers if they have COVID-19 and have been instructed by a health official to self-isolate and cannot work from home. Apply here.
The COVID-19 Short-Term Absence Payment is a one-off payment available for businesses to help pay employees who cannot work from home whilst they wait for a COVID-10 test result. Apply here.
Small to medium business, with 50 or fewer full-time employees, who are struggling due to a loss of revenue due to COVID-19 may be eligible for the Small Business Cashflow Loan Scheme. Apply here.
A Business debt hibernation is aimed at temporarily reducing the burden of existing debts, so you can stay solvent and start trading normally again. Use this tool to help determine whether business debt hibernation is an option for your business. Sole traders aren’t eligible for business debt hibernation.
Employment New Zealand has up-to-date guidance for employees, employers, and businesses around COVID-19 alert levels and the workplace, including leave and pay entitlements, modifying employment agreements and more.

Support from Whānau Ora agencies

Whānau can access Whānau Ora services, such as food and essential services, during COVID-19 at the following commissioning agencies.

Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency works with whānau and families in the North Island.
Te Pūtahitanga o Te Waipounamu works with whānau and families in the South Island.
Pasifika Futures is dedicated to working with Pacific Island families across the country.

Each commissioning agency works with local partners, providers and navigators to deliver a coordinated service based around the needs and aspirations of your whānau.

Emergency support, housing & food

If you are in need of housing support, information is available on the Work and Income website.

The COVID-19 financial support tool on the Unite against COVID-19 website will tell you what financial help and support may be available to you, and where you can apply or find more information.

For information on accessing kai, please see the guidance on the Unite against COVID-19 website. This page provides information on accessing kai if you are sick or self-isolating, staying safe when getting food delivered, financial support to buy food, food banks, and the rules around fishing and whitebaiting.

If you need support for food costs get in touch with Work and Income (0800 559 009).

Looking after your mental wellbeing

It is important to take care of all aspects of your hauora, and that of your whānau and friends. There are tips to help look after your mental wellbeing available on the Unite against COVID-19 website. If you are struggling and need to speak to a health professional, there are a number of helplines available that offer support and information. All services are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Schooling

Information for whānau Māori with children in the education system, and information about COVID-19 changes to education, can be found in the Ministry of Education’s Kia Manawaroa pānui.

There are some great resources available to help tamariki stay engaged in learning through Alert Level 4 and Alert Level 3:

As well as some advice to parents on how best to support them:

He kupu āwhina i ngā marae | Guidance for marae

This guide is designed to tautoko whānau, hapū and iwi in managing the COVID-19 safety of manuhiri and tangata whenua at the marae.

It provides an excellent summary of the different public health measures that are recommended for marae at different alert levels. This can help whether your role at the marae is front of the house as a speaker or caller (te amorangi ki mua) or at the back as cook or ringawera (te hāpai ō ki muri).

See the guidance on the COVID19 website, or you can download a handbook here.

Funding for iwi representative groups

Te Arawhiti is offering funding to iwi to support their COVID-19 response. Funding is intended for communications outreach, supporting vaccine uptake and response planning.

Before you submit a funding proposal using the application form read the guidance on making an application.