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Coronavirus: New documents show strict wine industry protocols during lockdown

Maia Hart | Mar 29, 2020 | Stuff.co.nz

Strict vintage rules include workers living off-site having to send a photo to their COVID-19 manager of their “daily-routine” to show they are staying socially isolated.

If wineries are in doubt about the best practice during the COVID-19 lockdown, they must “assume everyone has the virus”.

Documents posted to the New Zealand Winegrowers website on March 26, shows the advice given to wineries during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Wineries with more than 20 staff must have a dedicated COVID-19 manager, who had “absolute authority over any procedures involving staff or potential staff interactions”.

Records are to be kept for each person working in the winery, which includes living arrangements and who they are in contact with.

Workers living off-site must send a photo to their COVID-19 manager of their “daily-routine” to show they are staying socially isolated. In some cases, workers had been moved into isolated accommodation, which included caravans on site.

As the production and processing of beverages are considered an essential service, the wine industry has been cleared to work through the lockdown.

Start and finish times in the wineries were to be staggered to ensure different teams did not cross paths.

“Rest breaks” also needed to be staggered to reduce the number of people in one place. Workers were encouraged to take breaks outside, while “observing distancing rules”.

NZ Winegrowers chief executive Philip Gregan said last week the increased safety protocols had meant harvest was slower than previous years.

“If they are going to continue operating then there will be some slow down. At the end of the day that’s what the industry has to expect if they want to continue to operate,” Gregan said.

National MP for Kaikōura Stuart Smith said he understood why people were concerned at this time, but wineries had to meet the standard set, or they would shut.

Machine harvest in the Awatere Valley, Marlborough on March 24.

He said the message to wineries had been “very clear”.

“This is a privilege. But it comes with responsibility, and that responsibility is to not spread the disease.

“I think people are trying to do the right thing, across all of the essential businesses, they’re doing their best.”

Smith said he understood MPI had already visited wineries and other essential businesses in Marlborough.

A spokesperson from Pernot Ricard Winemakers said the health and wellbeing of team members and the community continued to be “the number one priority” through the evolving COVID-19 situation.

With more safety procedures in place, the harvest is happening slower than normal.

“In addition to the extensive cleaning, hygiene and social distancing measures we already had in place; we have implemented additional health and safety requirements at all of our sites that are currently operating to ensure that we meet the Government’s standard, with immediate effect,” the spokesperson said.

“We are committed to doing everything we can to keep our employees, their families and friends, and our community safe and stop the spread.”

By 5 pm on March 27, businesses should have registered with the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) on the “Register for Safe-Practice”.

New Zealand Food Safety deputy director-general Bryan Wilson said MPI then verified if safe practices were in place.

  • COVID-19: NZW response

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