Clarifying optometry’s role in lockdown

… Your application sought clarification in respect of the current authority deeming optometry services an essential health service for emergency and acute care only.
We apologise for any delay in the response. As you will appreciate, we have been dealing with many critical issues associated with the COVID-19 response. The definition of what is an essential business and what is an essential service continues to evolve and is being constantly reviewed.
After further review the Ministry has determined that “emergency” within optometry services, shall as at the date of this approval, be defined as including:

Acute eye heath care needs;
The repair and/or supply of prescription glasses and contact lenses required to ensure that a person has the ability to carry out their usual life activities;
Urgent eye health examinations that cannot be postponed;
The supply of new eye wear only in circumstances where the customer cannot make do with their current eye wear because it is either broken, lost or is no longer providing them the vision they need to operate a normal life.

This is NOT authority for optometrists to reopen their business premises to recommence non-emergency assessment and sales or to the arrange delivery en masse of glasses already on order. This authority allows for optometrists, should they choose to do so, to provide the above services subject to the following conditions:

In all cases a remote consultation is required in the first instance with the customer to ascertain whether their need is an emergency need, as defined above, and whether the service can be provided without the need for a face to face consultation
A remote questionnaire or checks prior to appointment to ensure patients don’t have any flu or other symptoms or have been in direct contact with a Covid-19 patient within 14 days of exam
A strict ‘consultation by appointment only’ and ‘one patient in the practice at a time’ rule to ensure correct social distancing along with hand washing and sanitising using alcohol-based products
Wherever possible the delivery of eye wear to the customer should be made via a courier service
Where a face-to-face consultation does take place, please ensure appropriate measures are in place to mitigate the risk of transmission between your staff, customers and the general public. Advice on this can be found on the Ministry of Health website
Ensuring operations do not divert resources away from the New Zealand healthcare system

Should an optometrist choose to provide the emergency services detailed above over Alert level 4, any staff member required to maintain operations are permitted to travel to and from their place of employment.