Monday 6th September 2021
BAY EYE CARE WILL RESUME NORMAL BUSINESS AT LEVEL 2.
Dear Bay Eye Care patients. The light is at the end of the tunnel. From Wednesday 8th Sept at level 2 we can resume seeing all patients again, including routine visits, and you can come into the clinic to purchase products or to collect lenses etc. It goes without saying that we will be following all level 2 requirements for recording of visitors to the practice, social distancing and hygiene measures for staff and patients.
If you have had an appointment disrupted by lockdown and have not already been contacted to reorganise this then please get in touch with reception on 07-5716644 or book an alternative appointment online at www.bayeyecare.co.nz/book-online. Thank you for your patience if there is a wait while we clear the backlog from lockdown. If your appointment is not an immediate concern thank you for booking for October onwards to allow those with pressing needs to see us earlier.
Alex and the Bay Eye Care team.
Tuesday 17th August 2021:
BAY EYE CARE IS ONCE AGAIN CLOSED IN 2021 FOR THE HOPEFULLY SHORT LEVEL 4 LOCKDOWN.
If you have an urgent eye condition please email the clinic at info@bayeyecare.co.nz and our optometrist will be available to offer advice and guidance on what to do next.
Also if you have any less urgent eye issues that are concerning you feel free to send through details or images of any questions, problems or new symptoms via email at info@bayeyecare.co.nz and our optometrist Alex can respond to these remotely with an email or phone call.
Be aware the premises that we occupy at the 10th avenue GP clinic may still be open to carry out essential services, however we urge you not to visit the clinic for Bay Eye Care matters at this time. Instead use email or phone if you have any urgent enquiries. There may be a facility to courier out solutions or eyedrops during the next 4 weeks, however is not certain at this stage if that will be possible.
We will update you when we learn that we can reopen the clinic and begin seeing non-urgent patients again. Keep well and look out for each other.
Alex and the Bay Eye Care team.
UPDATE: Wednesday 12th August 2020:
Along with the rest of the country we were dismayed to learn of the new COVID-19 cases in Auckland this week. While Auckland has to go back into level 3 lock-down, the rest of NZ moves back to level 2 for the week. Fortunately the majority of normal functioning of the Bay Eye Care clinic continues, albeit with precautions to keep you safe including social distancing in the waiting room, COVID-19 screening questions and contact tracing. Feel free to arrange an appointment by calling the clinic on 07 5716644, or by booking online.
At level 2 the Ministry of Health recommends that people at high risk of severe illness such as older people and those with existing medical conditions are still encouraged to stay at home where possible and take additional precautions when leaving home. Please discuss this with our optometrist if you are concerned. PPE is available for use by our optometrist and/or patients as needed.
Solutions and eyedrops can now be purchased as per normal in person in the clinic. We can still courier out items, however as per normal courier fees will apply.
Keep safe all and look out for each other - Alex and the Bay Eye Care team.
Tuesday 12th May 2020:
As New Zealand moves to level 2 on Thursday, the majority of normal functioning of the Bay Eye Care clinic will resume, albeit with precautions to keep you safe including social distancing in the waiting room, COVID-19 screening questions and contact tracing. Feel free to arrange an appointment by calling the clinic on 07 5716644, or by booking online.
At level 2 the Ministry of Health recommends that people at high risk of severe illness such as older people and those with existing medical conditions are still encouraged to stay at home where possible and take additional precautions when leaving home. Please discuss this with our optometrist if you are concerned. PPE is available for use by our optometrist and/or patients as needed.
Solutions and eyedrops can now be purchased as per normal in person in the clinic. We can still courier out items, however as per normal courier fees will apply.
Thank you for your patience over the last 7 weeks - we all look forward to business as usual soon!
Alex and the Bay Eye Care team.
Thursday 23rd April 2020:
With NZ entering COVID-19 Level 3 on Tuesday we have received updates from the authorities advising us that we can now arrange to see essential cases with strict protocols in place to avoid risk of transmission. Essential appointments means acute/emergency or ‘urgent care’ consultations that cannot be postponed, ie. no routine appointments or recall visits for the moment. Any face-to-face appointment has to be phone or email triaged first by our optometrist to ensure that advice cannot be delivered in a virtual and non-contact manner instead.
If you feel your eye problems meet these essential appointment criteria (for example sudden and significant recent changes to your vision, onset of significant eye pain, eye injury, redness or pain associated with contact lens wear) please contact the clinic via phone (07 571 6644) or email (info@bayeyecare.co.nz) to make an enquiry. Please avoid online booking at this stage.
Alex will be available to see patients on a Tuesday and a Thursday only at this stage, as the medical clinic that we share premises with has 3 isolated teams working on particular days to avoid spread of disease.
At this time there will not be any fee associated with a virtual consultation for an existing patient, however a nominal fee may be required for a new patient to the clinic.
Please be aware that we will be rigorously following guidelines from the relevant authorities to keep you safe. This includes:
We will ask COVID-19 screening questions before your visit: Please avoid coming into the practice if you are feeling unwell e.g. with fever, cough, sore throat or trouble breathing, OR you have returned from overseas in the past 14 days OR been in contact with anyone that has returned from overseas in the past 14 days.
We will be recording details of every visitor to the practice to allow contact tracing to be carried out if need be.
Personal protective equipment will be used during your examination, and the exam room and surfaces will be well cleaned between visits.
Physical distancing is in place, with controlled/restricted entry (one patient in the practice at a time rule) to the practice and restriction of staff numbers. We ask that if you have a support person(s) with you, ideally please ask them to wait in their car/outside the practice. They can join if needing, with distancing requirements etc.
We are still not allowed to physically open the clinic to the public at this stage, so if you are needing solutions or drops please continue to phone the clinic and speak to Karo, she can arrange a courier parcel with an enclosed invoice for online banking. This has been working well over the last 3 weeks. We will continue to waive any courier fees as a gesture of goodwill for the time being.
Media have suggested that Level 3 may only last for 2 weeks, our understanding is that more normal appointments can resume at level 2. We will update you in due course.
If there are any questions please get in touch, and once again we thank you in advance for you co-operation and understanding in these trying times.
Alex and the Bay Eye Care team.
Tuesday 21st April 2020:
Bay Eye Care will reopen for essential appointments on Tuesday 28th April. Please contact us in the first instance so that our optometrist can contact you via phone or email before any appointment is scheduled. More details will be released from our associations this week to described exactly what sort of patients we can and cannot see during COVID-19 level 3.
We have safety of patients and staff at the forefront of our mind, and strict protective measures will be in place at Bay Eye Care during any appointment. Please avoid visiting the practice unless you have an appointment. Contact lenses and solutions can be ordered over the phone (ask to speak to Karo) and couriered directly to you.
Thanks for your patience, more updates to come later this week. Regards - Alex and the Bay Eye Care team.
Monday 23rd March 2020:
BAY EYE CARE NOW CLOSED. The government has now instructed all non-essential businesses to close, which at this stage includes Bay Eye Care. If you have an urgent eye condition please email the clinic at info@bayeyecare.co.nz and our optometrist will be available to offer advice and guidance on what to do next.
Also if you have any less urgent eye issues that are concerning you feel free to send through details or images of any questions, problems or new symptoms via email at info@bayeyecare.co.nz and our optometrist Alex can respond to these remotely with an email or phone call.
Be aware the premises that we occupy at the 10th avenue GP clinic may still be open to carry out essential services, however we urge you not to visit the clinic for Bay Eye Care matters at this time. Instead use email or phone if you have any urgent enquiries. There may be a facility to courier out solutions or eyedrops during the next 4 weeks, however is not certain at this stage if that will be possible.
We will update you when we learn that we can reopen the clinic and begin seeing patients again. Keep well and look out for each other.
Alex and the Bay Eye Care team.
Sunday 22nd March 2020: In light of the challenging times we face with the international COVID-19 pandemic please be aware of the following changes and advice for patients of Bay Eye Care. Be assured that the health and safety of our patients and community are our priority and it is imperative that we all play our part to limit the spread of the COVID-19 virus throughout New Zealand.
In line with the Level 2 Alert System released by the government those over the age of 70 or with pre-existing medical conditions should avoid leaving their homes. If you meet these criteria, unless your eye condition is acute (sudden onset of eye pain, redness, vision loss) please avoid visiting the clinic and instead defer routine visits for a later time.
For the time being our clinic remains open and our optometrist Mr Alex Petty is fit and well. Be aware unlike other health professions much of an optometrist’s work is within 2m and some close contact may be required. If you wish to postpone any routine visits to see us this is perfectly acceptable; please let us know and Alex can arrange a suitable recall on a case-by-case basis.
Please avoid booking an appointment or visiting the clinic if you have entered the country in the last 14 days or have symptoms including fever, cough or shortness of breath.
Please be aware that our premises are located within a GP clinic and we share a common waiting room. If you would prefer not to wait within the waiting room you can call reception from your vehicle to advise us you are here, and our optometrist can come and find you to bring you straight into the consulting room when he is free. You will be required to sterilise your hands on entry to the clinic. Be assured that within the clinic our optometrist and staff are sterilising surfaces and equipment regularly and washing hands before each patient.
If you have any eye issues that is concerning you feel free to send through details or images of any questions, problems or new symptoms via email at info@bayeyecare.co.nz and our optometrist Alex can respond to these remotely with an email or phone call.
Likewise to avoid unnecessary movement within the community if you are in need of eye drops, solutions or contact lenses from Bay Eye Care we can courier these items to you at work or home (Bay Eye Care is happy to waive the normal courier costs for the time being). Please call us on 075716644 or email info@bayeycare.co.nz to arrange this.
Thank you for your understanding and patience in these trying times. We will update this page if any changes alter our current protocol for dealing with the COVID-19 challenges in our clinic. More information about COVID-19 in NZ can be found at the Ministry of Health page here.
Alex and the Bay Eye Care team.
