Covid-19 Updated Response by Cherry Grove

Kia ora Cherry Grover's
During the last 24 hours New Zealand has announced tighter border controls in response to the COVID-19 outbreak to slow the rate of infection. While the restrictions only take effect from midnight tonight, we have been in contact with all Cherry Grove families that have traveled overseas during the last week and asked them to self-isolate as a precaution. The health and wellbeing of our Cherry Grove tamariki and whanau are extremely important and while there is no legislative requirement for these families to self-isolate, they have all agreed to in order to minimise the risk to our vulnerable community.
To make sure we are continuing to be proactive in this area, can anyone that has been in contact with overseas travelers during the last week also contact me so we can best manage these cases as well. We are using daily advice from Ministry of Education for ECE providers, which supports our stance on this given the limited immunity most of our community has due to their age. Everyone has a role to play in minimising the risk of spread in New Zealand and we will be doing our part and taking a hard line on this to protect the welfare of everyone at Cherry Grove.
Our Emergency Management Plan (EMP) is also ready to be implemented should a forced closure ensue. As part of our EMP we have a text alert system that allows us to be in contact with everyone at very short notice. As an ECE provider we undergo an EMP procedure with HSM every three months. Everything from lockdowns to evac’s are covered to ensure our tamariki are well supported in any emergency. As it happens, our next scheduled EMP scenario is on Thursday (19th) at 9am and we will be simulating an emergency closure with HSM.
As previously stated in earlier correspondence, we will continue to focus on good hygiene practices here at Cherry Grove. Hand washing and good cough etiquette are very important tools in preventing the spread of illness including colds, flu, and COVID-19.
We will continue to keep our community updated as and when the situation changes and ask for your understanding and support on this matter. If you require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Regards and thanks, 
Kirst