Blood Donation Still Essential During Alert Level 2 & 3

As the country moves back into Level 3 (Auckland) and Level 2 (rest of NZ), New Zealand Blood Service (NZBS) is reminding donors that blood donation continues to be an essential service, and all donor centres and mobile drives across the country remain safe places to visit during all lockdown levels.

“Blood donation is an essential service and NZBS has made significant preparations for this scenario.  We have reinstated social distancing at all sites and donor hosts have returned to our donor centres within the Auckland supercity boundary to pre-screen donors before they enter.” says Asuka Burge, National Manager, Marketing and Communications New Zealand Blood Service.

“In line with Ministry of Health guidelines our donor centre and mobile blood drive teams across the country will be wearing masks. Donors are expected to wear masks when visiting a site, and we encourage them to bring their own. If they don’t have one, we will have some available on site.

“We ask any donor who feels unwell to contact us and cancel their appointment, this will allow us to rebook the appointment. Bookings are essential to ensure we can manage supply and demand of blood and blood products as we transition between alert levels across the country.

“The need for blood and blood products is constant, there is no substitute for blood. We continue to ask all eligible and healthy donors to book an appointment and maintain their commitment to donating blood or plasma.

• Donor centres continue to be safe places to visit.
• NZBS is asking healthy donors to continue to keep appointments to donate blood
• Blood stock levels are currently at healthy levels
• Travel to a nearby donor centre or mobile blood drive is considered essential travel.
• We encourage anyone visiting our site to scan the QR codes provided at reception for contact tracing purposes.
• NZBS is asking donors NOT to travel from outside the Auckland supercity boundary to visit an Auckland donor centre
• Some mobile drives in Auckland will be rescheduled – please check our mobile app or website for updated information.
• NZBS is advising donors over 70 years of age living within the Auckland supercity boundary to follow Ministry of Health guidelines and stay safe at home.
• Booking an appointment is essential. Donors without appointments may be turned away if there are no available beds. This helps sites manage the flow of people in donor centres at any given time, and allows NZBS to forecast supply, ensuring it is collecting sufficient quantities of blood types and blood products.

The need for blood is constant. There is no substitute for blood; blood donors save lives.

For more information on donating blood during the COVID-19 lockdown, visit https://www.nzblood.co.nz/give-blood/covid-19-updates/

Note to editors

• NZBS has a dedicated working group of experts that includes medical staff and donor care teams to closely monitor global developments in relation to COVID-19 and advise on any specific actions required.
• There is no evidence that COVID-19 is transmissible by blood transfusion.
• A four-week deferral has been introduced for any donors who have been in contact with a confirmed or suspected case of COVID-19. This means that if a donor has been in contact with someone who has had, or is suspected to have had COVID-19, they will be unable to donate for 28 days from last date of contact with this person.
• Any person who has had COVID-19 must wait four weeks after they are free from all symptoms before they can give blood.

 About NZBS:

New Zealand Blood Service (NZBS) is a not-for-profit Crown entity responsible for the collection, processing, testing and storage and distribution of all blood and blood products in New Zealand. 

NZBS relies on voluntary and non-remunerated blood donations from individuals around the country in order to provide a constant supply of precious blood and blood products used by health services to save thousands of lives.

• Every day, 80 New Zealanders need blood or blood products.
• There is no alternative for patients in need of blood or blood products – blood donors save lives.
• Currently less than 4% of eligible Kiwis are registered to donate.

For more information please contact:

Asuka Burge, New Zealand Blood Service, 09 523 6486, 027 272 6437
Asuka.burge@nzblood.co.nz 

Sandy Trigg, Network Communication, 021 231 9406
Sandy.trigg@networkcommunication.co.nz