Waipā moves to Alert Level 2
Restrictions will be in place at all Waipā District Council facilities from Wednesday midday as the district shifts into Alert Level 2.
The move follows an announcement by the Government on Tuesday night of nationwide restrictions after community transmission of Covid-19 was discovered in Auckland.
Auckland will go into Alert Level Three from noon Wednesday for three days. The rest of the country moves into Alert Level Two at the same time, with a further announcement made on Friday.
Under Alert Level 2 guidelines, contact tracing, physical distancing and limits on the number of people allowed into buildings must be in place at all businesses and public facilities in Waipā.
Council operations such as roading, water services, maintenance, major projects, essential services and recycling will continue as normal with safety measures in place.
Rubbish collection services, although privately managed in Waipā, are essential and will continue to operate.
Front counter services at Council’s Cambridge and Te Awamutu officer will remain open with a limit on the number of people allowed into the building. Contact tracing and physical distancing measures will be in place.
Facilities including libraries, museums, playgrounds, skateparks, toilets, BMX tracks and boat ramps will also remain open to the public with restrictions.
Residents must adhere to strict physical distancing and are encouraged to wash their hands before and after using any public exercise or playground equipment.
The Cambridge and Te Awamutu libraries will operate on reduced hours from Monday to Friday from 9am - 5pm. Both facilities will be closed on weekends.
No more than 50 people will be allowed in the Te Awamutu Library and 30 in the Cambridge Library for a maximum of 20 minutes at once. These spaces will operate on a one-in one-out policy.
The Te Awamutu Museum will also reduce its opening hours to 10am-4pm on weekdays with a limit of 20 people allowed in the facility for a maximum of 30 minutes at one time.
Events and gatherings are restricted to 100 people, with all Council-run events being postponed until further notice. Waipā event organisers are urged to follow public health guidelines when planning events.
Waipā mayor Jim Mylchreest said moving back to Alert Level 2 restrictions was necessary for the safety of all residents.
“The news of a move to Alert Level 2 was hard to hear but it is absolutely essential to control the resurgence of this terrible virus. That means working together as a community to all do the right thing.
“At this stage it is critical that anyone feeling unwell or exhibiting flu-like symptoms stays at home until they are well. I cannot stress enough that we all have a role to play in this.”
Mylchreest encouraged all residents to download and use the NZ COVID Tracer app to enable effective contact tracing.
“It is incredibly important we all keep track of where we have been in case of further community transmission. Effective contact tracing is our best chance of protecting ourselves and our community.
“I also strongly encourage residents to download Council’s Antenno app which will reduce the need to come into Council offices for things like paying rates.”
The Antenno app can be downloaded from the App Store or Google Play. If you don’t have a smartphone, you can share your latest contact information at tracing.covid19.govt.nz/signup.
For more information visit www.waipadc.govt.nz/covid-19.