NZPC | Aotearoa New Zealand Sex Workers' Collective

Changes to Covid 19 Regulations - Mon 12 Sept 2022

From Tues 13 Sept 2022, most of the Covid 19 regulations will be lifted.

In particular:

MASK WEARING - will only be required in healthcare facilities, including pharmacies,

primary care, urgent care, hospitals (including on-site cafés and florists), aged residential

care and disability-related residential care. It is not required to wear a face mask at counselling,

mental health and addiction settings.

However, some places may continue to ask people to wear a face mask. Please continue to wear a

mask when you come into our NZPC sexual health clinics.

It is recommended that masks are worn at crowded indoor settings as wearing a face mask is still an

important way to prevent being infected with COVID-19 and to avoid infecting others.

ISOLATING - still required for 7 days if you have covid.

HOUSEHOLD CONTACTS (and those you've spent overnights with or 8+ hours with) - are

advised to test daily for 5 days.

ANTIVIRAL MEDICATIONS - available for people at higher risk. Check for eligibility.

VACCINATIONS - some workplaces may still require workers are vaccinated.

Click here for more info https://covid19.govt.nz/next-phase-of-our-covid-19-response/

HOW WE ARE OPERATING?

We are avail!

And we have robust systems in place to reduce transmission and ensure our service remains available to SWers during this period. Please give us a call before you pop in so we can manage our space safely.

SUPPLIES and CLINIC

If you need condoms, dams, lube etc please call or email us with your order. We will get it ready for click and collect style pick up.

OR we can courier it to you. If your order has a charge, you can transfer the $$ and we will send it through after that.

You can still consult our doctors and nurses and screen for STIs through NZPC in Akld, Wgtn and Chch. Please contact your local branch to make an appointment. We have robust covid protocols to reduce the risk of transmission, including phone consultations, self-swab collection, bloods referrals and so on. If you live in other regions, contact your closest community base for SW friendly health recommendations .

NEW WORKERS and WORKER ASSISTANCE

Are you a new worker who needs support and information about your rights, health, safety, and wellbeing?

We are still available to chat! We can chat on the phone, or if you prefer videocall we can do that too - via Zoom or ask us about any others you might prefer (eg WhatsApp, Facebook, Microsoft teams, FaceTime, Skype etc). If you want to come in and have a face-to-face, please call ahead and follow our covid protocols..

We can support you with work related issues, assist with applications to Work and Income, and advocate for your rights when you’re navigating justice, housing, health, legal or any other systems. Give us a call or email and we will be able to support you in a covid-safe way.

If you are struggling financially contact us to find out what support is available.

CRISIS SUPPORT

If you need urgent support please ring your local community base during business hours or text 027 496 0700 afterhours.

We have some remote appointments available with our counsellor and art therapist. Email [email protected] to find out more about these.

HOW WE ARE OPERATING?

We are avail!

SUPPLIES and CLINIC

If you need condoms, dams, lube etc please call or email us with your order. We will get it ready for click and collect style pick up.

OR we can courier it to you. If your order has a charge, you can transfer the $$ and we will send it through after that.

NEW WORKERS and WORKER ASSISTANCE

Are you a new worker who needs support and information about your rights, health, safety, and wellbeing?

If you are struggling financially contact us to find out what support is available.

CRISIS SUPPORT

If you need urgent support please ring your local community base during business hours or text 027 496 0700 afterhours.

We have some remote appointments available with our counsellor and art therapist. Email [email protected] to find out more about these.

HOW WE ARE OPERATING?

We are avail!

SUPPLIES and CLINIC

If you need condoms, dams, lube etc please call or email us with your order. We will get it ready for click and collect style pick up.

OR we can courier it to you. If your order has a charge, you can transfer the $$ and we will send it through after that.

NEW WORKERS and WORKER ASSISTANCE

Are you a new worker who needs support and information about your rights, health, safety, and wellbeing?

If you are struggling financially contact us to find out what support is available.

CRISIS SUPPORT

If you need urgent support please ring your local community base during business hours or text 027 496 0700 afterhours.

We have some remote appointments available with our counsellor and art therapist. Email [email protected] to find out more about these.

WED 13 APRIL UPDATE to Covid response regulations

At 11:59pm on Wednesday 13 April 2022, all of New Zealand moves to

Orange

Sex work businesses are no longer required to provide QR scanning codes or check Vaccine Passes unless they wish to do so. These changes came into force from Monday 4 April 11.59pm.

MASKS

There is no change to mask regulations. Close contact businesses are still required to wear medical grade masks, as far as is reasonably practicable. Masks can be removed for identification purposes, if it is unsafe to wear them, and if they get wet.

More information about these changes, and other changes to the Covid Protection Framework in Red, Orange and Green can be found here https://covid19.govt.nz/traffic-lights/changes-to-the-traffic-light-system/

Do you need a Rapid Antigen test (RAT)?

If you live in Wellington, Christchurch or Dunedin and are symptomatic or required to isolate due to household members testing positive, we may be able to get a RAT to you.

Contact your nearest NZPC community base by phone and we'll sort something out!

The whole of Aotearoa NZ is in ORANGE

SEX WORK IN ORANGE

Sex work businesses can operate in Orange if;

Public health requirements
are followed

Workers must take all reasonable steps to wear face coverings, unless it is unsafe to do so. Masks must be of a medical grade when working in public facing roles. For example a Type IIR/Level 2 mask or above.

Encourage face coverings in shared spaces (hallways, changing room, lounge etc).

We acknowledge that challenges may arise with the use of face masks in your bookings, yet we encourage all sex workers and operators to do what they can to ensure our community is kept as safe as possible from Covid.

Sex work businesses are no longer required to provide QR scanning codes, collect contact information or check Vaccine Passes unless they wish to do so. These changes came into force from Monday 4 April 11.59pm. If you'd like to consider using Vaccine passes visit: https://www.business.govt.nz/covid-19/requiring-my-vaccine-passes-for-entry/

Visiting our community bases: health and safety measures when you visit us at NZPC

We have to follow health and safety guidelines so that we can keep ourselves, our community and our whānau as safe as possible, and continue to support our community.

We support all sex workers regardless of age, gender, workplace, visa status, ethnicity, or vaccination status to be as safe as possible in their work. Contact us for information about health and safety, or how to get financial support or other entitlements.

We provide health services and are required to be vaccinated, but you don’t have to be vaccinated to visit us, or to get support or information.

How are our services operating?

We are avail!

We ask that you respect our Covid 19 measures, please

Wear a mask in to our community bases
Sanitise your hands
Keep a 1m distance from other members of our community
Stay away if you have symptoms

Please don’t be offended if we ask screening questions about

symptoms
close contacts
whether you are awaiting covid test results

We just need to do all the things we can to ensure we can support our community as best we can.

Give us a call or a text to make a time for a chat.

Please note the following numbers you can call for extra support

For experiences of sexual harm:

Auckland HELP 0800 623 1700

Wellington HELP 04 801 6655 & push 0 at the menu

Christchurch AVIVA 0800 28482 669

Your local foodbanks: https://www.foodbank.co.nz/

For other 24/7 support:

Free text or call 1737 for free support from a professional counsellor

Lifeline 0800 543 354

Safe to Talk 0800 044 334 TEXT 4334 EMAIL [email protected]

Suicide Crisis Helpline 0508 828 865

Depression Helpline 0800 111 757

Samaritans 0800 726 666

Healthline 0800 611 116

Youthline 0800 376 633

Helpful links: Traffic Light System

https://covid19.govt.nz/traffic-lights/covid-19-protection-framework/

Close contact occupations

https://www.business.govt.nz/covid-19/covid-19-protection-framework/close-contact-services/

Food and drink services

https://www.business.govt.nz/covid-19/covid-19-protection-framework/food-and-drink-services/

Financial support

https://covid19.govt.nz/isolation-and-care/financial-support/

HISTORICAL COVID-19 UPDATES

In-person Sex Work

Traffic Light System

RED

The whole of Aotearoa NZ is in RED

SEX WORK IN RED

In-person sex workers and sex work businesses can operate in Red if;

They are vaccinated,		FSSWers, sensual masseuses, dancers, employed staff and other contractors must be vaccinated to have clients on-site.

They seek proof of vaccination from their clients,		If My Vaccine Passes are not sighted, your business can’t operate. Private workers are not obliged to show Vaccine Passes to clients, this is private information.

Ensure their workforce is vaccinated.		Operators must seek proof of vaccine from clients, and ensure all workers onsite are vaccinated. It is the responsibility of the operator to ensure that those onsite are vaccinated.

Signage must be displayed in a prominent place near the main entrance indicating that customers require a My Vaccine Pass.		There is a verifier app available to download for scanning/checking the My Vaccine Pass QR codes. It confirms the Vaccine Pass is valid along with the full name and date of birth of the holder. Read more and download here.

Public health requirements must also be followed		Workers must take all reasonable steps to wear face coverings, unless it is unreasonable to do so. Masks must be of a medical grade when working in public facing roles. For example a Type IIR/Level 2 mask or above. Keeping clients 1m distanced from each other, Ensuring visitors scan in or leave their contact details for contact tracing purposes, Strongly encourage clients to wear face coverings in shared spaces (such as bars, reception area, hallways), Clients do not need to wear a mask, but it is strongly encouraged, Masks can be removed for identification purposes and/or if it is unreasonable to wear them.

Workers who are not vaccinated, are not permitted to do in-person sex work at Red.

If you need to pop in to NZPC for supplies or a chat, please follow our covid protocols so we can keep everyone in our community as safe as possible.

You can call ahead with your requirements for click and collect.

NZPC supports all sex workers regardless of age, gender, workplace, visa status, ethnicity, or vaccination status to be as safe as possible

You don’t have to be vaccinated to visit us, get support or information. Please respect our Covid 19 safety protocols to keep everyone as safe as possible.

We support all sex workers!

Give us a call or a text to make a time for a chat.

We ask that the whole community support each other and the health and safety of our colleagues.

Some of us are, or feel, more at risk than others, its a spectrum.

Its important that we are all empowered to put practices in place that work for us, and that those practices are respected and supported by the community.

MASK UPDATE on January 25th 2022

A face covering will need to be an actual mask and attached to the head by loops around the ears or head. This means scarves, bandannas, or t-shirts should not be used.
Workers who are mandated to be vaccinated will need to wear a medical grade mask when working in public facing roles. For example a Type IIR/Level 2 mask or above.
You will need to wear a mask at food and drink businesses, close-proximity businesses, and events and gatherings. You can take your mask off to eat, drink or exercise.

These changes will come into force at 11:59pm Thursday 3 February.

TOURING WORKERS

When travelling by airline or Cook Strait Ferries

Some transport providers — such as Air New Zealand and Cook Strait ferry operators — may require you to show My Vaccine Pass or a negative COVID-19 test result before boarding.

The test must be taken no more than 72 hours before your journey. 

Before you travel, make sure you check the requirements with your transport provider.

Tests for domestic travellers

Free rapid antigen tests (RATs) are available at selected community pharmacies until 30 June 2022.

The tests are available for travellers from any part of New Zealand who:

are not fully vaccinated, and
are over the age of 12 years and 3 months, and
do not have COVID-19 symptoms, and
need a negative test result to travel with a transport company.

Find more information about FREE Rapid Antigen testing here

SEX WORK IN ORANGE

Sex work businesses can operate in Orange if;

They are vaccinated		FSSWers, sensual masseuses, dancers, employed staff and other contractors must be vaccinated to have clients on-site.

They seek proof of vaccination from their clients		If My Vaccine Passes are not sighted, your business can’t operate. Private workers are not obliged to show Vaccine Passes to clients, this is private information.

Ensure their workforce is vaccinated		Operators must seek proof of vaccine from clients, and ensure all workers onsite are vaccinated. It is the responsibility of the operator to ensure that those onsite are vaccinated.

Signage must be displayed in a prominent place near the main entrance indicating that customers require a My Vaccine Pass.		There is a verifier app available to download for scanning/checking the My Vaccine Pass QR codes. It confirms the Vaccine Pass is valid along with the full name and date of birth of the holder. Read more and download here.

Public health requirements must also be followed		Workers must take all reasonable steps to wear face coverings, unless it is unsafe to do so. Masks must be of a medical grade when working in public facing roles. For example a Type IIR/Level 2 mask or above. Ensuring visitors scan in or leave their contact details for contact tracing purposes, Encourage face coverings in shared spaces (hallways, changing room, lounge etc).

Workers who are not vaccinated, are not permitted to do in-person sex work at Orange.

We acknowledge the challenges that will arise when asking sex workers and clients to show proof of vaccination, yet we encourage all sex workers and operators to do what they can to ensure our community is kept as safe as possible from Covid.

SEX WORK IN GREEN

Sex workers and sex work businesses can operate in Green without restrictions if;

They are vaccinated		FSSWers, sensual masseuses, dancers, employed staff and other contractors must be vaccinated to have clients on-site.

They seek proof of vaccine from their clients		If My Vaccine Passes of clients or customers are not sighted, your business must comply with extra public health measures. Private workers are not obliged to show Vaccine Passes to clients, this is private information.

ensure their workforce is vaccinated.		It is the responsibility of the operator to ensure that all workers onsite are vaccinated. Operators must seek proof of vaccine from clients if they are operating without restrictions in Green.

Signage must be displayed in a prominent place near the main entrance indicating if customers require a My Vaccine Pass.		There is a verifier app available to download for scanning/checking the My Vaccine Pass QR codes. It confirms the Vaccine Pass is valid along with the full name and date of birth of the holder. Read more and download here.

If My Vaccine Passes of clients or customers are not sighted, your business must comply with extra public health measures:		Keeping clients 1m distanced from each other, Ensuring visitors scan in or leave their contact details for contact tracing purposes, Workers must take all reasonable steps to wear face coverings, unless it is unsafe to do so. Masks must be of a medical grade when working in public facing roles. For example a Type IIR/Level 2 mask or above. Encourage clients to wear masks.

Workers who are not vaccinated, are not permitted to do in-person sex work at Green

Click here for more details of sex work in the traffic light system

WED 23 MARCH UPDATE to Covid response regulations

VACCINE PASS UPDATES

From Monday 4 April 11.59pm businesses are no longer required to check Vaccine Passes. Businesses can however choose to continue checking them for entry.

This means that sex workers can keep checking Vaccine Passes of their clients if they wish, but there is no requirement to do so.

VACCINE MANDATES for SEX WORKERS

From Monday 4 April 11.59pm, vaccine mandates for close contact workers are no longer in place.

This means that sex workers are no longer required to be vaccinated to operate. However workplaces (e.g. clubs, brothels, SW venues) can still choose to require their contractors and employees to be vaccinated.

CONTACT TRACING QR CODES

From Friday 25 March 11.59pm business are no longer required to display QR codes, and clients/customers are no longer required to scan in or leave contact tracing details.

MASKS

There is no change to mask regulations. Close contact businesses are still required to wear masks, as far as is reasonably practicable. Masks can be removed for identification purposes, if it is unsafe to wear them, and if they get wet.