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Saudi Arabia's highest religious body, the Council of Senior Scholars, has urged Muslims worldwide to pray at home during Ramadan if their countries require social distancing to curb the spread of the coronavirus, state news agency SPA reports. The holy fasting month of Ramadan begins later … View moreSaudi Arabia's highest religious body, the Council of Senior Scholars, has urged Muslims worldwide to pray at home during Ramadan if their countries require social distancing to curb the spread of the coronavirus, state news agency SPA reports. The holy fasting month of Ramadan begins later this week. During the month, believers usually break their fast with families and friends and perform an evening prayer, known as Taraweeh, in large gatherings at mosques. "Muslims shall avoid gatherings, because they are the main cause of the spread of infection...and shall remember that preserving the lives of people is a great act that brings them closer to God," it said in a statement on Sunday (local time). The kingdom's Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdulaziz Al al-Sheikh on Friday expressed the same sentiment, saying that Muslim prayers during Ramadan and for the subsequent Eid al-Fitr feast should be performed at home if the coronavirus outbreak continues. Saudi Arabia has reported 8274 cases of COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the new coronavirus, and 92 deaths so far, the highest among the six Gulf Arab states where the total has reached 24,374 with 156 deaths. The Saudi government in mid-March stopped people performing their five daily prayers and the weekly Friday prayer inside mosques as part of efforts to limit the spread of the coronavirus. Last week, the Prophet's Mosque in the holy city of Medina said it was banning events that dispense evening meals in the mosque to those in need during Ramadan to break their daily fast.
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Lifewise has helped me a lot. My life before this place, was a bit of a mess. I could never find stability, and a family to love me. Family to me means people who love and actually care for you. We just need more places like Lifewise so other people can get inside, too. With your support, Lifewise … View moreLifewise has helped me a lot. My life before this place, was a bit of a mess. I could never find stability, and a family to love me. Family to me means people who love and actually care for you. We just need more places like Lifewise so other people can get inside, too. With your support, Lifewise can ensure more young people like me, who have had a rough start in life, find new opportunities. Please donate today.
-- Starr, 19, Lifewise rangatahi
A further nine residents from an Auckland rest home linked to a Covid-19 cluster have been transferr…
Six residents sent to hospital from an Auckland rest home over coronavirus-related staffing issues h…
The Prime Minister said the pay cut would last for the next six months.
Following her announcement, National leader Simon Bridges tweeted he would chip in and take a 20 per cent pay cut too. "As we acknowledge New Zealanders who are reliant on wage subsidies, taking pay cuts and losing their … View moreThe Prime Minister said the pay cut would last for the next six months.
Following her announcement, National leader Simon Bridges tweeted he would chip in and take a 20 per cent pay cut too. "As we acknowledge New Zealanders who are reliant on wage subsidies, taking pay cuts and losing their jobs as a result of Covid-19's global pandemic. "We feel acutely the struggle that many New Zealanders are facing and so too, do the people that I work with on a daily basis. "It is about leadership," said Ms Ardern, adding that the move would not "shift the Government's overall fiscal position". "If there was ever a time to close the gap between different positions, it's now," the Prime Minister said. "This is where we can take action which is why we have." She said the move stands alongside "many actions taken by many people". Ms Ardern acknowledged many sectors working to help New Zealanders at this time.
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Where are the cases?
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This week, the Ministry began highlighting how many active, recovered and dead cases there are in each District Health Board. Southern DHB continues to have the most cases overall, while Tairawhiti has the fewest.
Cases in each DHB, ordered by the overall … View moreWhere are the cases?
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This week, the Ministry began highlighting how many active, recovered and dead cases there are in each District Health Board. Southern DHB continues to have the most cases overall, while Tairawhiti has the fewest.
Cases in each DHB, ordered by the overall number of cases recorded
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Southern: 64 active, 152 recovered, 0 dead. Total: 216
Waitemata: 86 active, 120 recovered, 0 dead. Total: 206
Auckland: 49 active, 136 recovered, 0 dead. Total: 185
Waikato: 98 active, 84 recovered, 1 dead. Total: 183
Canterbury: 64 active, 76 recovered, 7 dead. Total: 147
Counties Manukau: 32 active, 78 recovered, 0 dead. Total: 110
Capital and Coast: 42 active, 49 recovered, 2 dead. Total: 93
Nelson-Marlborough: 14 active, 34 recovered, 0 dead. Total: 48
Bay of Plenty: 13 active, 32 recovered, 0 dead. Total: 45
Hawke's Bay: 21 active, 20 recovered, 0 dead. Total: 41
Mid Central: 11 active, 20 recovered, 0 dead. Total: 31
Northland: 17 active, 10 recovered, 0 dead. Total: 27
Hutt Valley: 7 active, 13 recovered, 0 dead. Total: 20
Lakes: 5 active, 11 recovered, 0 dead. Total: 16
South Canterbury: 9 active, 6 recovered, 0 dead. Total: 15
Taranaki: 3 active, 11 recovered, 0 dead. Total: 14
Wairarapa: 0 active, 8 recovered, 0 dead. Total: 8
Whanganui: 4 active, 4 recovered, 0 dead. Total: 8
West Coast: 2 active, 2 recovered, 1 dead. Total: 5
Tairawhiti: 3 active, 1 recovered, 0 dead. Total: 4
The seven deaths in Canterbury are all linked to the group from the Rosewood Rest Home cluster who were transferred to Burwood Hospital. New Zealand's first death was Greymouth woman Anne Guenole on the West Coast. Two people have died in Wellington, one of which was linked to the Bluff cluster. A single person has died in Waikato. He was linked to the Matamata cluster. Of New Zealand's 20 hospitalised cases, seven are in Waitemata, four are in Auckland, there are two each in Canterbury, Counties Manukau and Waikato, with single hospitalised cases in Northland, Southern and South Canterbury DHBs.
Transmission type:
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Contact with known case: 54 percent
Recent overseas travel: 38 percent
Community transmission: 4 percent
Source under investigation: 3 percent
Clusters
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Most of the cases now being recorded in New Zealand are being linked to clusters. These are groups of COVID-19 cases linked together as they have all been to the same location, but are not all part of the same household. Within a cluster there may be an individual who has a link to someone who has travelled. New Zealand has 16 significant clusters, up three since last Saturday. These are clusters with 10 or more cases. The origin of some remains unknown and under investigation.
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Bluff wedding: 96 cases, linked to overseas exposure
Marist College, Auckland: 92 cases, unknown origin
Matamata bar: 75 cases, linked to overseas exposure
Rosewood Rest Home, Christchurch: 40 cases, unknown origin
Stag party, Auckland: 38 cases, unknown origin
World Hereford Conference, Queenstown: 35 cases, linked to overseas exposure
"Community", Auckland: 30 cases, unknown origin
Ruby Princess cruise ship, Hawkes Bay: 22 cases, linked to overseas exposure
Auckland rest home (1): 21 cases, unknown origin
George Manning retirement village, Christchurch: 20 cases, unknown origin
Wellington group which travelled to the United States: 16 cases, linked to overseas exposure
Auckland group which travelled to the United States: 16 cases, linked to overseas exposure
Waikato rest home: 14 cases, linked to overseas exposure
Auckland rest home: 14 cases, linked to overseas exposure
Wellington wedding: 13 cases, linked to overseas exposure
Christchurch workplace: 10 cases, linked to overseas exposure
Ages
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0-9: 33
10-19: 113
20-29: 340
30-39: 217
40-49: 209
50-59: 234
60-69: 167
70+: 109
Gender
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Male: 639
Female: 782
Not specified: 1
Ethnicity
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European or other: 1053
Asian: 158
Maori: 121
Pacific peoples: 65
Unknown: 25
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The Government has eased visa rules to allow businesses to make greater use of immigrant labour during Alert Levels 3 and 4. The changes mean some immigrants can start new jobs. Until now, only health, supermarket and aged care workers had been allowed to change their roles or hours. Employers and … View moreThe Government has eased visa rules to allow businesses to make greater use of immigrant labour during Alert Levels 3 and 4. The changes mean some immigrants can start new jobs. Until now, only health, supermarket and aged care workers had been allowed to change their roles or hours. Employers and immigrants have been told that has now been extended to other essential sectors, which according to the Covid-19 website include utilities, education, financial services, construction and accommodation providers.
Immigration New Zealand (INZ) said the changes that could be requested include:
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-Any staff who are student visa holders to work full time for that employer
-Any staff who are employer-specific work visa holders to work for that same employer in any occupation
-Any staff who are work visa holders to work for a different employer in the same region in the same occupation as they are currently employed.
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The changes will be allowed to extend up to six weeks after the country moves to Alert Level 2. "The short timeframe will enable employers in essential industries to maintain their labour pool as hiring would be very difficult while New Zealand remains at Alert Level 3 or 4," said INZ. "This means that the ability of employers to move migrant workers between roles, or employ them for more than would normally be allowed will end when recruitment of New Zealanders becomes possible under fewer restrictions on recruitment and movement of New Zealanders." It went on to spell out the help immigrants in financial hardship can access, including emergency accommodation and supplies. "Currently our advice to people who are here from overseas, who are not currently employed, and are experiencing financial difficulty during Covid-19 Alert Level 4 is to talk to their Embassy or Consulate for assistance," said an INZ email to stakeholders. "This includes workers here on a Recognised Seasonal Employer scheme, working holiday, short-term visa, students and tourists. "If you are unable to secure self-isolation accommodation, some limited assistance can be provided to find accommodation to self-isolate by contacting the Temporary Accommodation Service (TAS) to register on 0508 754 163. "In extreme cases where you cannot obtain essential supplies during phase 4, contact can be made with the local Civil Defence Emergency Management (CDEM) Groups (0800 numbers on their website) here." Meanwhile, INZ said it had limited visa processing capability but was now in a position to start processing some other visa categories. They included student visas, post-study work visas, victims of domestic violence and partnership visas. "Due to Immigration New Zealand's limited visa processing capacity, the assessment of these applications or requests may take longer than usual," it said in a statement. On its website it said it would only usually be processing applications on that list, except ones related to the Covid-19 response. ''But immigration officers will retain the discretion to prioritise other applications where the circumstances of the application require particular urgency," it said. ''INZ is focusing on processing applications that are a priority and can be processed within the current operational constraints. ''We appreciate this will be disappointing news for those people affected, but we are continuing to review our priorities and are hopeful we will be able to process more visa types in the near future.''
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This is Lulu from Mount Eden in Auckland, who has gone from having almost no-one home at the same time to having seven flatmates home almost all the time and this is how she feels about it...
Who are your bubble pets? Share your photos of your pets in the comments below - whether it’s helping … View moreThis is Lulu from Mount Eden in Auckland, who has gone from having almost no-one home at the same time to having seven flatmates home almost all the time and this is how she feels about it...
Who are your bubble pets? Share your photos of your pets in the comments below - whether it’s helping you work from home, on a local neighbourhood walk getting some exercise, or any cute, fun, and funny photos!
Up to 20 residents from an Auckland rest home linked to a Covid-19 cluster are being transferred to…
Auckland is essentially under water restrictions for the first time since the early 1990s as the region's storage dams drop below 50 per cent amid a severe drought.
Watercare's advice to Aucklanders
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• Keep washing your hands regularly
• Keep your … View moreAuckland is essentially under water restrictions for the first time since the early 1990s as the region's storage dams drop below 50 per cent amid a severe drought.
Watercare's advice to Aucklanders
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• Keep washing your hands regularly
• Keep your showers short: 4 minutes or less
• Only run your dishwasher or washing machine when they're full
• Don't wash the car
• Don't waterblast the house or driveway
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Dear Neighbours,
Please feel free to download these beautiful inspirational posters for your home, work place or community space.
More can be found on this page ....
www.meditationauckland.co.nz...
Corona and Heineken beer, Jim Beam bourbon, Smirnoff vodka and Bombay Sapphire gin are among the mos…
In hospitality, the biggest change is the drive for professionalism which includes better business knowledge and respect for these career pathways. While our sector has taken a big knock now, we know from the earthquake experience, that people will soon want to eat out again. Celia Hay, founder of … View moreIn hospitality, the biggest change is the drive for professionalism which includes better business knowledge and respect for these career pathways. While our sector has taken a big knock now, we know from the earthquake experience, that people will soon want to eat out again. Celia Hay, founder of the New Zealand School of Food and Wine, reflects on her hospitality career journey and ways to cope with curious times.
Hi Neighbours!
The Office for Seniors is working hard to keep you informed throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
Our most recent COVID-19 special edition Newsletter includes phone numbers for all regional civil defence teams, they can help you if you are struggling to access your supermarket … View moreHi Neighbours!
The Office for Seniors is working hard to keep you informed throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
Our most recent COVID-19 special edition Newsletter includes phone numbers for all regional civil defence teams, they can help you if you are struggling to access your supermarket essentials.
It also includes details on COVID-19 related scams and what to look out for to stay safe.
Read the newsletter here: bit.ly...
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