Ministry of Health: Health & Disability Worker Vaccinations Order

Manawanui CEO, Marsha Marshall and her team provide regular updates, using expert advice when needed, to explain the Health Order: Compulsory Covid Vaccinations and what it means for you, your whānau and employees. 

This blog was published update after an amendment to the order was made on Friday 5th November 2021. 

If you are a Manawanui customer, you will be able to access a fact sheet here. 

Marsha explained in an update to customers, 

“We were informed that Cabinet have changed the Health Order (on Friday 5 November) relating to compulsory vaccinations.  We have previously confirmed, as have the Ministry of Health, that resident family who are being paid to provide support (living in the same home as the disabled person) were exempt from the Order and did not require mandatory vaccinations.  That has been changed, and the amendment to the Order now requires ALL people providing care and support service to a person in their home to be vaccinated.  What this means is that the Order now applies to paid family in the home, unless there is an exemption".  

Exemptions can only be granted by the Director-General of Health, Dr Ashley Bloomfield, on the advice of a medical doctor or nurse practitioner with current practicing certificates.  

The actual Order is here:
The COVID-19 Public Health Response (Required Testing and Vaccinations) Amendment Order 2021 is now:
•    Notified in the Gazette
•    Published online (as LI 2021/358): 

 The changes are in Part 2, Clause 4, and if you click on "Explanatory notes" it will take you to the relevant changes.

The penalty for noncompliance or infringement is fines.  The section in the Order is here

Marsha continues, “Manawanui cannot change the content of the Order, our job is to communicate the content, and advise you on how to respond as employers.  We always have, and still do, provide strong advocacy to the Ministry of Health for you all, and have given feedback on this issue, as well as the timeframes in the Order as having dramatic negative impact on some of you.”  

If you are a Manawanui customer,  you can a fact sheet here and also call the Employers and Manufacturers Association (EMA) free on 0800 300 362 for advice.

We also will be working with other disability providers who have vaccinated staff who may be available as back up until your employees get vaccinated.  You can use the Third Party Payment function on the Portal to manage this.  

If this change affects your income directly as I know it will for some of you, contact WINZ for some financial support.  The number is here: 0800 559 009.

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