Groups of front line workers will receive a COVID-19 Response Recognition Award, acknowledging the service given by so many to New Zealand during the pandemic.
“All New Zealanders, at home and abroad, played a part in our successful response to COVID-19, and I thank them for that. But we also want to acknowledge those New Zealanders whose roles were particularly critical,” says former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.
The award has been designed to be in keeping with the likes of military service, and takes the form of a lapel pin with up to 80,000 pins to be given to individuals in the workforce groups identified.
Nominations open now
Current and former Health and Disability system response staff can now register for the COVID-19 Response Recognition Award in acknowledgement of their contribution to New Zealand’s COVID-19 response.
Individual Award
To be eligible for the COVID-19 Response Individual Award you need to have been employed or contracted by Ministry of Health (MOH) or identified as part of the COVID-19 Health and Disability System Response (HSR) for a minimum of 1 month between March 2020 and 30 June 2022 and been active in a role:
- That provided direct operational support to the frontline COVID-19 Health and Disability response; or
- As a Doctor, Nurse or Healthcare and Disability staff who cared for patients with COVID-19, including for example, disability support workers and Māori hauora providers, Pacific health workers
‘Direct Operational Support’ refers to those workers who may not necessarily have faced COVID-19 every day or administered vaccinations but whose roles were critical to ensuring that others could.
Contractors, part-time and fulltime staff who meet above criteria are eligible to apply for the award.
Please register through the Te Whatu Ora registration portal https://covid-19responseaward.powerappsportals.com by 3 March 2023. Registrations will be reviewed against the criteria and awarded after approval.
Awards are a lapel pin in a display box and a personalised certificate.
These will be sent to New Zealand addresses.
If you have any questions, please email the COVID-19 Response Recognition Award team at C19RecognitionAwards@health.govt.nz
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