Kia ora koutou,

As the situation around COVID-19 continues to develop, I would like to reassure you that our focus is on keeping EIT students and staff safe. 

Teaching and learning at EIT will continue as normal. If it becomes necessary for students to be off campus, be assured that your lecturers are preparing teaching approaches to enable you to continue to engage with your studies. These approaches may differ between programmes but we are committed where it is possible to supporting a successful completion of your programme of study.

We understand that you may have questions around your programme, your placement and the “next steps”. Please don’t hesitate to ask your tutor or your lecturer. You can also email your queries to covid19@eit.ac.nz.

If you are feeling overwhelmed – remember our student support staff and the chaplaincy services at the Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti campuses. The EIT Health Centre is open for Hawke’s Bay students. There are counselling services available for students studying at the Auckland campus.

We are following guidance from the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education. They are providing daily and reliable updates on the situation. With the situation changing quickly, we must all help to slow down the spread of the virus. However, the Ministry of Health has stated that “the chance of widespread community outbreak is expected to remain low”.

Some tips from the Ministry of Health:

• Wash your hands regularly with soap and water often, for at least 20 seconds.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
• Cough or sneeze by covering your mouth and nose with tissues. If you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve or elbow.
• Use an alcohol-based hand sanitiser with more than 60 percent alcohol.
• Try to avoid close contact with people who are unwell.
• Stay at home if you feel unwell.

This is a challenging and evolving situation, and we expect that we will have to adapt. Check our Facebook page and website for updates.

Please make sure that you keep your contact details up to date with EIT so that we can advise you on any changes. Contact your programme secretary in the first instance.

Let’s watch out for each other to keep us safe and healthy.

Ngā mihi
Chris Collins, EIT Chief Executive