NZ Maori Council issues comprehensive guidance on COVID-19 covering hui, tangi, gatherings and much
NZ Maori Council issues comprehensive guidance on COVID-19 covering hui, tangi, gatherings and much more:
The New Zealand Maori Council has today issued guidance for the Te Ao Maori world when it comes to responding to COVID-19 or Corona Virus. The New Zealand Maori Councils Executive Director, Matthew Tukaki, said that the guidance covers everything from the holding of Hui to Tangi, religious services, the workplace and more. Tukaki also indicated that this would be the first iteration and the guidance would be continually updated as events unfold:
“It is fundamentally important that our people are kept fully informed. That is why we have developed this guidance and a new site where resources can be downloaded and so on @ https://www.maorieverywhere.com/covid19” Tukaki said
“The 1918/19 pandemic had a severe impact on Māori, whose death rate of 4.2 percent was approximately five to seven times higher than the non-Māori death rate. Māori and Pacific peoples in New Zealand had higher rates of morbidity for the influenza A (H1N1) 2009 pandemic than other ethnic groups. History, therefore, suggests that Māori and Pacific peoples are more susceptible to pandemic influenza than other groups.” Said Tukaki
“The Corona Virus / COVID-19 is impacting nations and communities across the world. Here, in Aotearoa, it is likely to also have a significant impact on our health, our communities and the economy. No place has been left untouched so far and the New Zealand Māori Council has a responsibility to ensure that we offer guidance to Māori, communities and organisations so they can ready themselves for the year ahead. In this document we cover areas such as “do I or do I not hold a hui?” through to working from home, general health and wellbeing advice, things to consider if you care for mokopuna and Tangi.” Said Tukaki
“Of course, each of the New Zealand Māori Council Districts, Iwi and Hapu will have their own protocols and advice based on tikanga based processes. This is, therefore, simply guidance and we that you review this, alongside other advice, in making informed decisions. The primary goal of each of us is to keep our people and each other safe. Over the coming day and weeks more advice and material will be provided through our Māori everywhere.com site as well as stock that Māori organisations and Marae can download such as health information posters. We are also posting much of this material across social media for you to share and pass on. If you have any questions about your own health, then make sure you call the health information line on 0800 358 5453.” Said Tukaki
The guidance includes:
Introduction and context 3
What is a Corona Virus? 4
What is COVID 19? 4
The symptoms 4
How do I catch it? 4
Can CoVID-19 be caught from a person who has no symptoms? 5
Protection measures for everyone 5
Hui considerations / what might we need to know? 5
Tangihanga 6
Employment and the workplace 7
Whanau looking after whanau in state care 8
For those of our people working in faith organisations 8