Document 3. Supporting Document
This document is the third of three and provides supporting information for the other two:
Document 1. Plan for a pandemic
(White colour)
Document 2. Prepare, respond & recover
(Yellow, red, green colours)
Document 3. Supporting document
(Grey colour)
No one knows when a pandemic outbreak might occur or how severe it might be. In this way,
planning for a pandemic is like planning for an earthquake. The important thing is that your
ECE/School/TEO takes steps now to protect staff, students or children for future pandemic
(global event eg, influenza) or epidemic (local event eg, hepatitis, tuberculosis, norovirus,
seasonal flu, etc) events.
This supporting document should be used alongside the Influenza Pandemic Planning Guide for
Schools (the Planning Guide) available on the Ministry of Education website.
Ministry of Education
April 2009
Supporting Document – Planning Assumptions
The following assumptions underpin the Pandemic Plan for your ECE/School/TEO and the
Planning Guide:
1
Closing ECEs/Schools/TEOs to students/children is part of New Zealand’s National
Health Emergency Plan to help control a serious pandemic like influenza, tuberculosis,
etc. ECE/School/TEO closures aim to reduce close contact between children.
2
During a pandemic event, your ECE/Schools/TEO may wish to provide educational
materials to their students/children for use at home.
3
State and state-integrated schools and state centres will maintain as full a service as
possible for as long as safely possible during a pandemic emergency unless directed
otherwise by health authorities.
4
A pandemic may come in several waves over a six to eight month period. At the peak of
the worst pandemic wave, up to 50% of the workforce may be sick or looking after sick
dependants.
5
State sector employees will be paid their normal salary during a pandemic, provided,
with their employers’ pre-approval, they:

come to work in their usual workplace (with rigorous personal hygiene, social
distancing and cleaning regimes in place)
6

work remotely (for example from home)

carry out additional or alternative duties for their employer or another agency.
State sector employees will be expected to use their leave entitlements (sick, domestic,
annual or other, with the ability to anticipate some sick and annual leave) if they are sick
or looking after sick dependants during a pandemic emergency. When all leave
entitlements and advances have been exhausted, state sector employers may provide
additional paid special leave during Stages 2 and 3 of a pandemic, but only where this
will contribute to preventing the arrival or spread of a pandemic.
Supporting Document –
New Zealand’s Pandemic Planning
New Zealand has been planning for an influenza pandemic for some time. The Ministry of
Health is working with the health sector and other government agencies, including the
Ministry of Education, to ensure New Zealand is as prepared as possible for a potential
pandemic. The diagram below outlines the whole-of-government overall influenza pandemic
management strategy and associated actions:
STAGE
NZ STRATEGY
1
Plan for it
(Planning)
Ministry of Health
(MoH)/District
Health Board
(DHB) ALERT CODE
WHITE
(Information/Advisory)
YELLOW
(Standby)
2
3
4
5
Keep it out
(Border
Management)
RED
(Activation)
Stamp it out
(Cluster Control)
Manage it
(Pandemic
Management)
Recover from it
(Recovery)
GREEN
(Stand down)
OBJECTIVE AND ACTION

Objective: devise a plan to reduce the health,
social and economic impacts of a pandemic on
New Zealand



Full engagement of whole of government


Objective: keep pandemic out of New Zealand
Consultation with and input from many agencies
Prepare to implement pandemic response
action plans
Wide range of border management options:

closure of New Zealand’s border to all
non-nationals

quarantine of all returning New
Zealand citizens

Enhance internal disease surveillance and
notification


Investigate and follow up any suspect cases




Isolate and treat patients and households


Maintain border management

Health service reconfiguration to support
community response in affected areas

MoH directs national closure of educational
organisations to children and students, closes
other places where people congregate, and
prohibits mass gatherings


Social distancing measures

Objective: expedite the recovery of population
health where impacted by the pandemic,
pandemic management measures, or disruption
to normal services

Phase starts when the population is protected
by vaccination, or the pandemic abates in New
Zealand
Objective: control and/or eliminate any clusters
that might be found in New Zealand
Contact trace and treat all contacts
Restrict movement into/out of affected area(s)
MoH directs regional closure of educational
organisations to children and students, closes
other places where people congregate, and
prohibits mass gatherings
Objective: reduce the impact of an influenza
pandemic on New Zealand’s population
Support for people cared for at home, and their
families
Supporting Document –
Planning: Role of Participants
From Document 1 - Action plan – Point 5.2.
The primary roles of participants:
Pandemic Manager:
ECE Manager/School Principal/Head of TEO [change if required]
Deputy Manager:
Deputy Principal or Centre Assistant Manager [change if required]
Primary Roles of Key Participants:
Board of trustees
To provide direction and support to the principal/manager/deputy to
manage the school programme and environment, ensuring that
health needs are given highest priority.
Manager/Deputy
To manage the ECE/School/TEO programme and environment,
ensuring that health needs are given highest priority.
Classroom Teachers
To provide clear guidance to students and children on sound healthprotection procedures and ensure they are implemented at
classroom level.
Support Staff
To ensure that vulnerable children are given additional support.
Office Staff
To maintain health supplies.
To maintain effective communications with families.
Parents
To ensure that students/children with symptoms of communicable
diseases are kept away from school and provided with appropriate
health care.
Students/Children
To follow health protocols put in place within the school and centre.
For smaller schools/centres like sole charge or with two or three teachers/caregivers:
You may need to amalgamate the above roles into one or two positions and/or seek support
and assistance from your local board of trustees, parents or from your local community.
Supporting Document –
Planning: Contact details template
From Document 1 – Action plan – Point 7.
Please take time to fill out this form with up-to-date contact details for you as
parents/caregivers of your child (or children) at your ECE/School/TEO. Please also provide
two local emergency contacts of people your child knows (eg, family/friends) who could take
care of your child in an emergency:
Date: ___________________________
Family name: ____________________________________
Name(s) of child (ren): ______________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
1. Parent/caregiver:_______________________________________
Home phone: _______________________
Work phone: ________________________Mobile phone: ____________________
2. Parent/caregiver______________________________________
Home phone:_______________________
Work phone:________________________ Mobile phone:_____________________
3. First emergency local contact (eg, friend or family member):
Name__________________________________________
Home phone: _______________________
Work phone: ________________________Mobile phone: ____________________
4. Second emergency local contact (eg, friend or family member):
Name__________________________________________
Home phone: _______________________
Work phone: _____________________Mobile phone: ____________________
Supporting Document –
Planning: Communicating
From Planning Guide – Communication Page 14.
The following considerations underpin the Pandemic Action Plan for ECEs/Schools/TEOs and
Planning Guide:
Communication with the ECE/School/TEO community
It is likely there will be anxiety during a pandemic and this is likely to contribute to more
absences and/or increased stress for the board of trustees, managers, principals, staff,
parents/whānau and students. Ways to manage this might be to:

communicate early the possibility of a pandemic and your school/centres’
preparedness to manage it – to your board, manager or principal, staff, students and
parents/whānau. Ministry of Health influenza advice might be useful

discuss with manager, principal or staff possible health and safety issues, and leave
arrangements for them if they are ill or need to look after dependants

have a comprehensive plan in place that is clearly communicated to your board,
manager, principal, staff, students and parents/whānau. Ensure that communications
management during the pandemic is part of the plan. It will be important to have
systems in place to allow your ECE/School/TEO to communicate effectively in a
pandemic

in activating your plan, provide clear, timely and proactive communications to your
board, manager, principal, staff, students and parents/whānau, explaining how your
ECE/School/TEO is handling the situation

establish a ‘communications tree’ for your ECE/School/TEO to circulate important
messages. Consider how you might maintain communication with:

board, managers, principal, staff, students and parents/whānau

other schools/centres in your area/cluster

relevant agencies and community support networks

key suppliers and contractors.
Supporting Document –
Responding: Contact List
From Document 2 – Prepare, respond and recover – Red section Point 7.
The flowchart below outlines the screening process for the detection and management of
suspected pandemic cases.
Process
1
2
3
The pandemic manager receives a call from a person (or guardian of a student/child) or
is told that they are a suspect case of influenza
Do not visit the person if this can be avoided – manage the process over the telephone
or maintain a level of separation of at least one metre
Follow the flowchart below for a suspected influenza pandemic case
Note – symptoms may change, so refer to the Ministry of Health website.
Ask the person if they have any of the following symptoms:
 high fever (or feel feverish and hot)
 headache
 fatigue and weakness
 sore throat, cough, chest discomfort, difficulty in breathing
 muscle aches and pain
 been overseas recently
 been in contact with someone diagnosed with influenza.
(Use Influenza Notification Form on the next page)
Yes, two or more
symptoms as
described above
No symptoms as
described above

Patient should be considered as possible case of
influenza.
Unlikely to be influenza:
 reassure
 advise to call again if concerned
or visit their doctor.
1. Fill in Influenza Notification Form over the phone.
2. Take names of contacts (those working within one
metre or in enclosed place for more than 60 minutes).
Advise them where they can find a surgical mask and
ask them to leave work or isolate them immediately.
Advise them or their guardian to call their doctor by
telephone to advise that they or their charge have
been in contact with a suspected influenza case.
Arrange for clean-up of the person’s or student’s work
area.
Advise contacts that they have been
in contact with a suspected case.
Ask contacts to go home and to
stay there until advised otherwise.
Students/child are isolated until
picked up by their guardian.
Supporting Document –
Suspected Influenza Notification Form
From Document 2 – Prepare, respond and recover – Red section Point 7.
Details of Affected Staff/Students/children
Name:
Site:
Location of isolation:
Title:
Nationality if visitor to site:
Date of birth:
(optional)
Address:
Telephone no:
(W)
(H)
(M)
Symptoms noticed:
Fever
Headache
Dry cough
Cold
Body aches
Fatigue
Others
Details:
Time of fever on-set:
Time of isolation:
Travel history over the past eight days:
Countries visited
Flights taken:
Where referred:
Complete Contact List (See separate page)
Where referred:
Complete Contact List (See separate page)
Details of Reporter
Name:
Job title:
Telephone no:
(W)
(H)
(M)
Supporting Document –
Responding: Contact List
From Document 2 – Prepare, respond and recover – Red section Point 8.
The Ministry of Health definition of ‘pandemic contacts’ includes people who, during the
infectious period of a suspected or confirmed case, were:
 household members of the case
 close workplace contacts of the case, including people sharing an office or cubicle area or
whose work brought them into close physical proximity (sitting within 1 metre for at least
15 minutes) with the case, but not people who share general office space
 members of the case’s class or child care group (up to and including tertiary education)
with whom most of the day is spent and who spent at least 15 minutes within 1 metre of
the case. This definition could also include the teacher or child care supervisor
 identified by the case as being in close physical contact (eg, hugging, kissing, sitting
within 1 metre for at least 15 minutes) with the case.
Note that the contact definition may change depending on the nature of the pandemic
virus when a pandemic occurs. Up to date contact definitions will be placed on the
Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education websites.
You will need to prepare this list, possibly assist in following up these people and provide it to
the Medical Officer of Health or their designated officer on request.
Name of Affected
Person
Contact Email for
guardian
Telephone number/s
Address
People with whom the affected person has interacted since displaying symptoms
Name
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Email
Telephone number
Address
Supporting Document –
Hygiene Practices and Social Distancing
From Document 2 – Prepare, respond and recover – Red section Point 14.
The following outlines social distancing and increased hygiene practices:
Increased hygiene practices
Hand washing and drying are the single most important measure that will reduce the risk of
transmitting infectious organisms from one person to another. To support high standards of
hygiene, you should have posted signs in toilets and kitchens reminding staff, children and
students to wash their hands with soap and water and to dry them with disposable towels.
These practices should also be used when preparing/handling food.
Note that in the event of a pandemic, it is recommended that ECE/School/TEO staff check the
following website for the latest advice: www.moh.govt.nz/pandemicinfluenza.
The following responses should be used at all times and particularly during the active (red)
stages of a pandemic to prevent or reduce the spread of influenza:
Hand washing and drying should also occur after:

coughing

sneezing

handling used tissues

using toilets

touching objects, materials or hard surfaces that may have been contaminated by
someone with the infectious illness or the infected person themselves.
Hygiene can also be maintained by:

using disposable towels to open toilet doors

cleaning surfaces touched by someone with an infectious illness (phones etc.) or not
shaking out their clothing, linen or towels

not sharing cutlery, cups or plates

placing waste that could be infected (used tissues etc.) into covered plastic bag lined
rubbish bins.
Staff, students or children who begin to display respiratory infection symptoms (colds, flu etc.)
are to follow the following etiquette whenever they are in the presence of others:

if unwell, apply a face mask, notify the pandemic manager and wait at the assigned
area for clearance to go home or be picked up by their caregiver/guardian

avoid close contact (less than one metre) with other people

cover the nose and mouth with a tissue or sleeve (not hand) when coughing or
sneezing

use disposable tissues to contain any secretions

immediately dispose of used tissues in the nearest waste receptacle

immediately wash and dry their hands.
Vaccination
Once the strain of the pandemic influenza is identified, vaccine supplies can be developed.
These supplies will be supplied by the Ministry of Health for all New Zealanders. You will be
given every opportunity to be vaccinated by a medical practitioner.
Social distancing
Where staff and/or students/children are at ECE/School/TEO during the active (red) stages of
a pandemic, a distance of at least one metre should be maintained between people wherever
possible. Any form of contact with people who are unwell with a pandemic, including visitors,
should be avoided.
Any staff who have face-to-face contact with members of the public where social distancing is
not possible or practical will follow Ministry of Health guidelines and may be issued with
personal protection equipment. Staff should insist visitors and people with any form of
respiratory infection symptoms wear face masks, stay at least one metre away or leave the
area.
Further steps may include the suspension of face-to-face services. Managers may also
consider offering staff the option of working outside normal work hours.
To minimise contact, staff are to:

avoid meeting people face to face by using the telephone, video conferencing and the
internet to conduct business as much as possible, even if participants are in the same
building

avoid any unnecessary travel, and cancel or postpone non-essential meetings/
gatherings/workshops/training sessions

avoid public transport. Walk, cycle, drive or leave early or late to avoid rush-hour
crowding on public transport

bring lunch and eat at a desk away from others (avoid cafeterias, lunch rooms and
crowded restaurants). Make sure lunch breaks are staggered to avoid over-crowding
in common areas

avoid congregating or spending time in photocopying areas, lunch rooms or areas
where people socialise

avoid recreational or other leisure classes/meetings etc. where they may come into
contact with infected people.