Coronavirus Updates | Ryman Healthcare

The Omicron outbreak is progressing at different rates throughout the country.

Ryman villages have been managing COVID-positive cases amongst team members and residents. We are taking great care of our people and reducing risk by maintaining strong safety protocols.

Ryman care centres are open for visits – please click the link to book an appointment online. We will continue to ease limits and protocols in each region as Omicron declines. This will be communicated to each region as changes apply.

Our village centres are open and activities for residents continue. We are excited to plan for larger gatherings and events in the coming weeks. It is our intention to keep life as normal as possible for our serviced apartment and independent residents and we will only close our village centres if absolutely necessary. Your village manager will be in touch directly if this happens.

We want to do everything we can to keep our residents and our teams safe. All our team members are vaccinated, we have full infection control plans in place, and we have plenty of supplies including Rapid Antigen Tests. Most importantly, we have a superb team committed to our residents, and we appreciate what they do.

Our village teams are the first port of call with any urgent questions. For less urgent inquiries please contact residentsupport@rymanhealthcare.com

COVID-19 symptoms:

Common symptoms of Omicron COVID-19 are like those found with a cold or influenza. Even very mild symptoms can indicate COVID. You may have one or more of the following:

sore throat
sneezing
runny nose
new or worsening cough
fever
shortness of breath

Less common symptoms of COVID-19 may include diarrhoea, headache, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting, malaise, chest pain, abdominal pain, joint pain or confusion/irritability. These almost always occur with one or more of the common symptoms.

If you have any of the following symptoms, please remember to stay home and contact your doctor or Healthline on 0800 358 5453 for advice and get a test if advised to do so.

Key points / FAQs

From February 25 only people who have tested positive for COVID-19, and their household contacts, are required to self-isolate at home.

All other contacts do not have to self-isolate but are asked to monitor their symptoms.

However, with the rapid spread of COVID-19 in the community, we encourage you to stay home and monitor for symptoms if you know you are a close contact.

While you may no longer be required to self-isolate as a non-household close contact, we ask that you do the right thing by your village neighbours, family and friends and play it safe.

We know that visits are important for everyone’s wellbeing, and there will be many happy family reunions.

We will continue to carefully manage visits to our care centres and serviced apartments as Omicron remains a significant risk. Visitor requirements and restrictions may change at short notice. We will communicate locally when this happens. RAT testing and vaccine passes are still required for entry to the care centre. This is to protect our most vulnerable residents. Thank you for showing kindness and patience to our team during these times.

Visits for residents in end-of-life care, palliative care or for compassionate reasons can go ahead – please book online, or ask your village manager.

If you are unwell at all or think you have had contact with a COVID-19 case, always postpone your visit. If you have recovered from COVID, please wait for at least 10 days and be symptom-free for 72 hours before visiting.

Our borders are gradually opening to international travellers. They no longer have to self-isolate.

International visitors are welcome to visit our independent residents – please book using the online booking system.

We have full stocks of PPE, rapid antigen tests (RATs) and full contingency plans to cope in the weeks and months ahead.

Our staff and contractors are being RAT tested, are wearing PPE, and we maintain very high vaccination rates amongst team members and residents.

Our aim is to keep everyone safe and entertained as we have throughout the pandemic over the past two years.

Our team know our residents in care well and their wellbeing is always paramount.

We have been through many weeks of lockdown under similar circumstances, so we have good strategies. You can definitely play your part in this by keeping in touch via phone or Zoom.

Each week, hundreds of our residents are logging on to our online Engage programme.

Residents can prepare by making sure they have plenty of day-to-day grocery supplies, as well as at least two weeks’ supply of medications, tucked aside.

We will look after any of our care residents who contract COVID-19. And we will provide all the support we can for independent or serviced apartment residents who need to self-isolate for any reason.

We have full plans in place for this. You can read the Government’s guidelines here.

Covid-19 protection framework guidelines

For the latest information on the Government traffic light settings, please visit covid19.govt.nz/traffic-lights

We have put together some guidelines below outlining how this system will apply when visiting our villages under the different classifications. This also includes COVID-safe protocols we’ve had in place throughout the pandemic that have helped our villages to remain a safe haven for residents.

If you haven't already downloaded your My Vaccine Pass click here to go through to the Government website where you will be guided on how to do this. Vaccine passes are no longer mandatory but may be used at the discretion of individual businesses. Ryman will continue to require a vaccine pass from those wishing to enter the care centre. This will likely remain in place until the system winds up in May.

GREEN

Limited community transmission

Visiting village centres

No capacity limits

Upon arrival, complete the entry declaration and RAT test at reception/village entrance. Our team will also complete a temperature check.
All visitors are required to wear a mask when inside the village and in all areas - no vented masks please.

Visiting care centres

To visit our care centres, you may be required to book via our online booking system.
To visit our care centres, you will be required to show a vaccine pass (until the system ends in May).
Upon arrival, complete the entry declaration and RAT test at reception/village entrance. Our team will also complete a temperature check.
All visitors are required to wear a mask when inside the village and in all areas - no vented masks please.
After recovering from COVID, or ending an isolation period, please remain away from the care centre for at least 10 days and be symptom-free for 72 hours (not the minimum 7 days), to ensure there is no risk of COVID transmission.

Visiting apartment and townhouse residents

No restrictions to visiting apartments or townhouses, if you need to walk through the village centre you will be asked to sign in. Proof of vaccination is not required.

Visiting serviced apartment residents

No restrictions to visiting serviced apartments, if you need to walk through the village centre you will be asked to sign in. Proof of vaccination is not required.

ORANGE

Increasing community transmission

Visiting village centres

Capacity limits apply to accommodate 1-metre distancing rules

Upon arrival, complete the entry declaration and RAT test at reception/village entrance. Our team will also do a temperature check.
All visitors are required to wear a mask when inside the village and in all areas - no vented masks please.

Visiting care centres

To visit our care centres, you may be required to book via our online booking system.
To visit our care centres, you will be required to show a vaccine pass (until the system ends in May).
Upon arrival, complete the entry declaration and RAT test at reception/village entrance. Our team will also complete a temperature check.
All visitors are required to wear a mask when inside the village and in all areas - no vented masks please.
After recovering from COVID, or ending an isolation period, please remain away from the care centre for at least 10 days and be symptom-free for 72 hours (not the minimum 7 days), to ensure there is no risk of COVID transmission.

Visiting apartment and townhouse residents

No restrictions to visiting apartments or townhouses, if you need to walk through the village centre you will be asked to sign in. Proof of vaccination is not required, if you're just visiting the apartment and not entering the care centre.

Visiting serviced apartment residents

No restrictions to visiting serviced apartments, if you need to walk through the village centre you will be asked to sign in. Proof of vaccination is not required, if you're only visiting the apartment and not entering the care centre.

RED

Large numbers of community transmission, or
regions with low vaccination rates

Visiting village centres

200-person capacity limit applies
1-metre distancing applies
Hospitality services will be seated, and physical distancing rules apply

Upon arrival, complete the entry declaration and RAT test at reception/village entrance. Our team will also do a temperature check.
All visitors are required to wear a mask when inside the village and in all areas - no vented masks please.

Visiting care centres

To visit our care centres, you may be required to book via our online booking system.
To visit our care centres, you will be required to show a vaccine pass (until the system ends in May).
Upon arrival, complete the entry declaration and a RAT test at reception/village entrance. Our team will also complete a temperature check.
All visitors are required to wear a mask when inside the village and in all areas - no vented masks please. Additional personal protective equipment (PPE) may be required in the care centre. If so, the village will provide this to you.
After recovering from COVID, or ending an isolation period, please remain away from the care centre for at least 10 days and be symptom-free for 72hrs (not the minimum 7 days), to ensure there is no risk of COVID transmission.

Visiting apartment and townhouse residents

No restrictions to visiting apartments or townhouses. If you need to walk through the village centre you will be asked to sign in. Proof of vaccination is not required, if you are only visiting the apartment or townhouse and not entering the care centre.

Visiting serviced apartment residents

No restrictions to visiting serviced apartments, if you need to walk through the village centre you will be asked to sign in. Proof of vaccination is not required, if you are only visiting the apartment and not entering the care centre.