Image: Matt Boulton [CC BY-SA], via Wikimedia Commons
Campuses closed and graduation events postponed as prime minister delays election
Universities across New Zealand are stepping up their defensive measures against Covid-19, after the government placed Auckland under lockdown last week.
The rest of the country is on a lower alert level, which requires social distancing of one metre in work areas and two metres elsewhere.
The changes were introduced in response to New Zealand’s first known community outbreak in more than three months, which had grown to 17 cases by 13 August. On 17 August, prime minister Jacinda Adern announced that the country’s general election would be postponed by a month due to the spike in cases.
With 22 deaths and 1,600 cases to date, New Zealand has been widely cited as an example of successfully combatting the virus.
The restrictions brought in by the government in a bid to prevent a rise in cases prompted the University of Otago to cancel its public graduation ceremony, which was supposed to take place on 15 August.
In a statement, the university said: “Given the identification of Covid-19 community transmission in Auckland, the rise to Alert Level 2 in Dunedin, and the social nature of the graduation ceremony, this was the only responsible course of action.
“All associated events are also cancelled—departments running associated events should arrange for their cancellation as soon as practicable.”
The University of Auckland cancelled classes and closed its campus last week.
In a statement, Dawn Freshwater, the university’s vice-chancellor, said: “I realise that the return to Alert Level 3, at short notice, and after only a short period of time working at Alert Level 1, will be disappointing and will create a level of anxiety and exacerbate existing uncertainty.”
The University of Massey also closed its Auckland campus due to the lockdown.
Universities in parts of the country not subjected to lockdown have reminded students and staff of the importance of following contact-tracing processes and maintaining social distancing.
In a statement, Bruce McKenzie, acting vice chancellor of the University of Lincoln, said: “As always, the safety and wellbeing of our students is our main priority. Maintaining a safe environment under Alert Level 2 rests on our ability to maintain safe public health protocols. These include physical distancing, good hygiene practices, and contact tracing.”