If you are sick or cannot leave home to buy food or essential items, talk to your family, whānau, friends and neighbours to see if they could deliver them to you.

Try food delivery such as supermarket home delivery, food parcels, frozen pre-prepared meals, subscription food boxes (like My Food Bag and Hello Fresh) or any other whole-food delivery service.

You can also use your supermarket's click and collect service, and ask a local friend, family member or neighbour to drop off groceries for you. Your supermarket may have reserved some priority slots for people who need to use online shopping.

If you need food urgently, for example in the next 24 to 48 hours, your local foodbank may be able to help.

You can get financial assistance for food through Work and Income.

• Call 0800 559 009

Staying safe when getting supplies delivered

• Deliveries should be contactless.
• If you are delivering supplies, remember to stay 2 metres apart and wear a face mask.
• If you get your supplies delivered, remember to stay 2 metres away from those delivering them, wear a face mask and wash and sanitise your hands after you have put the supplies away.

Support for older people

Anyone can call Age Concern New Zealand on 0800 65 2105 to get advice and support.

Support for whānau

Whānau Ora helps whānau access health and welfare services, and meet basic needs for food, accommodation, heating, internet connectivity, water and sewerage.

You can contact Whānau Ora on:

• 0800 929 282 if you are in the North Island
• 0800 187 689 if you are in the South Island

Support from the Student Volunteer Army

For those in self isolation or who have no other way to access food, the Student Volunteer Army has a Grocery Delivery Service. 

If you need help to access or pay for accommodation during COVID-19, there are several ways to get support. It depends on your situation.

At risk from family violence in your current accommodation

If you are in immediate danger phone 111 and push 55. 

Otherwise call:

• Women’s Refuge: 0800 733 843 — 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
• Shine: 0508 744 633 — 9am to 11pm, 7 days a week
• Shakti International: 0800 742 584 — 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, if English is your second language.

If you are in urgent need of housing within the next 7 days and have nowhere else to stay

Contact Work and Income

• Call 0800 559 009 Monday to Friday, 7am to 6pm and Saturday, 8am to 1pm.
• If you are under 19, say "youth client" when you call. Or call your Youth Service provider if you have one.
• Check for more information at workandincome.govt.nz

If you are not eligible for Work and Income assistance 

If you are stranded because you could not get home before the domestic travel window ended, and do not have anywhere to stay, contact your local Civil Defence and Emergency Management (CDEM) Group

If you are a public housing tenant of Kāinga Ora or a Community Housing provider, contact your tenancy manager. 

• If you are a Kāinga Ora customer, call 0800 801 601.

Accommodation issues due to health requirements

Where self-isolation at home is not appropriate, or you are a health worker living with people at high risk of COVID-19 infection call the COVID Healthline: 0800 358 5453.

Leaving a Managed Isolation Facility and have no accommodation or home to go to
Check your Welcome pack for helpful information. If you have more questions, talk to the manager of your Managed Isolation Facility.

Need help to pay for the housing or accommodation you are in

If you are a public housing tenant of Kāinga Ora or a Community Housing provider, contact your tenancy manager. 

Otherwise contact Work and Income

• Call 0800 559 006 Monday to Friday, 7am to 6pm and Saturday, 8am to 1pm.
• If you are under 19, say “youth client” when you call. Or call your Youth Service provider if you have one.

Not a New Zealand permanent resident and have nowhere to stay

Contact your embassy or consulate and ask for assistance.

The government's central resource for COVID-19 business information with updates about COVID-19 and guidance to help businesses.

Work and Income NZ COVID-19 employer support

Call about COVID-19 payments for businesses if you employ people. Support includes:

• Leave Support Scheme
• Short-Term Absence Payment.

You can book your COVID-19 vaccination now.

The COVID Vaccination Healthline provides vaccination information and helps people to book their vaccination through the Book My Vaccine website.

• Interpreter services are available.
• You can ask to speak to a Māori advisor.
• There is a dedicated team of advisors to support disabled people and their carers, and those with a health concern.
• If you have any questions about the vaccine and want to talk to someone, the COVID Vaccination Healthline can help.

If you do not know your NHI number, you can call 0800 855 066 to find out. It is helpful to have your NHI number when making a booking for our COVID-19 vaccine.

If you have questions about managed isolation and quarantine (MIQ), including charges and exemptions:

Call 0800 ISOMIQ (0800 476 647) from within New Zealand.

Call +64 4 931 5720 from outside New Zealand or if you are in New Zealand with an international SIM. Rates will apply.

If you have questions or feedback about the NZ COVID Tracer app:

• call 0800 800 606 on Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm.
• get help generating your official QR code posters by emailing 
• email your query or feedback to

In your email, include your phone’s make and model, the operating system you are running and, if your query relates to an issue you are experiencing, a brief description of the issue.
 

If you need information about returning home, you can call the contact centre for advice:

• +64 4 931 5720 if you are in Australia — rates will apply
• 0800 476 647 if you are in New Zealand — calls are free

You can call between 8am to 10pm (NZT), 7 days a week.

If you have questions about your booking, please contact your airline.

It is your responsibility to manage your costs for travel disruption.

In an emergency

If you are a New Zealand citizen abroad you can get emergency consular assistance. You can access support for situations like lost or stolen passports, death, health issues and law infringements.

Consular staff in New Zealand and at our Consular offices in Australia cannot arrange a space in managed isolation or quarantine (MIQ) or a flight to New Zealand for you.

Get emergency consular help by calling:

• +64 99 20 20 20 if you are outside New Zealand
• 0800 30 10 30 if you are in New Zealand.

Emergency consular help is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
 

Vaka Tautua provides a free call service in Samoan, Tongan, Cook Islands Māori and English. You can call for free on 0800 652 353 Monday to Friday 8:30am to 5pm.