Responding to COVID-19

The outbreak of coronavirus is a fast-evolving and unprecedented situation. 

As Southland's regional development agency, we are committed to ensuring the health, safety and wellbeing of the people we work with, for and alongside. This involves supporting local businesses and members of our community in accessing the information, resources and tools that will help to mitigate the economic and social impact of COVID-19.

We are continuing to monitor the impact of the virus across Southland and are working alongside industry and government representatives to ensure a steady flow of information. Below you will find  some useful links and tips on what you and your business can do to protect itself:

Health advice

Learn more about the latest health advice from the Ministry of Health for the general public on coronavirus and ways in which you can help to prevent the spread of the virus. Read more

Travel restrictions

To try and prevent the spread of the virus throughout the world, travel restrictions have been imposed at the New Zealand border. These include extending travel restrictions, requiring every person entering New Zealand, including New Zealand citizens and residents, to self-isolate for 14-days, and suspending visits from cruise ships. These restrictions, which were put in place on Saturday 14 March, will be reviewed after 16 days. Read more

Information for businesses

New Zealand government’s central resource for COVID-19 business information can be found below:

COVID-19 Information for businesses

Other useful links include:
Information for exporters
Information on Tax relief available
Practical recommendations for employers from Otago Southland Employers Association
Impact and Risk response: BDO

Information on the Government's economic package 

The $12.1 billion package has been designed to support New Zealanders and their jobs from the global impact of COVID-19 and includes funds to support wage subsidies, leave and self-isolation support and the development of a redeployment package. 

Further information on the details of the package can be found here

Factsheets on the package: 

Business cashflow and tax measure factsheet
COVID-19 leave support factsheet
Income support factsheet
Wage subsidy scheme factsheet

Managing mental wellbeing

With extensive coverage of the virus across all media channels, it is understandable that you or your employees may be feeling stressed about the potential impact coronavirus could have. Read more on how to manage mental wellbeing at this time