SAE AUCKLAND COVID-19 UPDATES
TRAFFIC LIGHT SETTING
Our SAE Auckland Campus is currently operating under the ORANGE traffic light setting.
SAE AUCKLAND COVID
RESPONSE PLAN
SAE AUCKLAND STUDIO PROTOCOLS
COVID-19 UPDATE: 11 JULY 2022
Kia ora SAE whānau,
Over the past week, COVID case numbers have begun to rise once more. This was not unexpected. In general, immunity from vaccinations is beginning to wane as many of us reach 6 months or more since receiving our booster shots; new variants are entering the country that are increasing evading immunity, and of course we are entering the midst of winter with multiple colds and flus also circulating amongst the community – particularly now that our borders are largely open.
At SAE, we have now seen over 120 cases of COVID amongst our staff and students. With so many cases, some clear trends are beginning to emerge. Most significantly, time and time again we’ve had an infectious case in a class who has tested positive that evening, but no other students have become unwell. This provides clear evidence that our COVID Safety Protocols are working – wearing masks on campus, along with our mobile HEPA air filtration units and ventilation systems, and our cleaning regime including air sanitising are all proving effective at reducing the spread of the virus.
As we head into this next COVID wave, it’s important that we maintain these measures. I’d therefore like to reiterate what you need to do, as per our COVID Safety Protocols:
- You must continue to wear a surgical-grade mask (e.g. N95) and fit it properly over your nose and mouth. Please only remove the mask briefly for eating/drinking or when you are recording vocals/filming. Continuing to wear a mask throughout ORANGE has served us well. Please keep it up folks.
- Stay home if you are feeling unwell and seek a COVID test if required
- If you test positive for COVID, please contact me on Slack @s.major or email [email protected]
- If you are a household contact, please contact our fabulous Student Support Advisors: Alex Harter or Alexandra Selkirk-Hanna. They can be reached on Slack @a.harter or @a.selkirk-hanna
Reinfection of COVID is also becoming a trend and the Ministry of Health advice around getting infected again has recently changed. Now, if COVID symptoms return and it’s more than 28 days since your previous infection, it’s possible that you have contracted COVID again (likely a new variant) – you should take a RAT test and self-isolate once more if that returns a positive result. Previously, there was no need to re-test/self-isolate again for 90 days, but this has been dramatically reduced to just 28 days now.
I know we are all tired of dealing with COVID and it would be easy to turn a blind eye to these measures. With many locations no longer requiring you to wear a mask, it could be easy to become complacent or forgetful when you step foot on campus. But these COVID protocols are giving us the best possible chance of minimising the spread of COVID and thereby minimising the disruption to classes. We’ve managed to get through thus far without having to cancel a single class – let’s try to maintain that by taking care of ourselves and each other, particularly as this next COVID wave hits our shores.
One final point: I encourage you to also consider getting a flu shot. A few staff and students have become quite unwell with the flu recently and a flu shot may help you to stay well during these winter months. For more information about flu shots, visit this Ministry of Health site.
Our SAE community has rallied through these past 2 years and the action you’ve taken has truly made a difference. Please continue to do your part to help keep us all safe.
Kia kaha, kai maia, kia manawanui. Be strong, be brave, be steadfast.
Arohanui,
Suzette
LOCATIONS OF INTEREST
The following confirmed COVID cases were at SAE campus while deemed to be within the infectious period. If you were in close proximity to a confirmed case, please closely monitor for symptoms. If you become unwell, please go home and seek a COVID test if required.
NB: Cases that are more than 14 days old are removed from the table.
SUPPORTING OUR STUDENTS THROUGH COVID-19
SAE Auckland recognises that students may face technology access issues and/or general hardship due to COVID-19. Wherever possible, we will assist students so they can keep studying at SAE. This includes providing funds for data in order to help students access online classes.
If you are facing financial difficulties as a result of COVID-19 and in particular require assistance to access online learning from home, please contact Student Support to discuss your circumstances:
Alex Harter: [email protected]
VACCINATION STATUS
With the removal of the Government mandate, the SAE Auckland Campus vaccination policy has now been suspended.
All Staff, Students and Visitors to SAE Auckland Campus are welcome regardless of vaccination status.
