COVID-19 preparation underway as New Zealand case numbers increase
Taupō District Council has ramped up its contingency planning in the wake of the stricter border controls put in place by the Government yesterday to try and stem the spread of COVID-19 cases in New Zealand.
Chief executive Gareth Green said the council’s crisis management team had convened to consider the effect the Coronavirus could have on its operations, and plans were being put in place to ensure essential services would be kept operating should the community and council staff be widely affected.
“This is a rapidly changing situation and the time has come for us to start thinking about Coronavirus affecting how we operate,” he said. “It now seems it’s a matter of when, not if, we have some cases in our community.”
As a precaution, all non-essential council meetings and workshops were being cancelled if there were no urgent decisions needed to be made. Meetings scheduled for yesterday and later this week had been affected, and workshops planned for next Tuesday would also not take place. All business travel has been cancelled, both international and domestic.
“The only exception we have at this stage is the March full council meeting. We will ensure we have a quorum present in the Chamber to meet the rules set by legislation and invite the rest of the elected members to take part by phone,” said Mr Green. “In today’s environment, we can’t be too careful. The situation is changing day-by-day,” he said.
Following the Government’s directive yesterday afternoon for a cap of 500 people to be placed on mass gatherings and events, a number of events planned in the Taupō District have been cancelled. This includes the McQuilkin Cup due to be held today, Iron Maori which was planned for Saturday, EasterFest and Global Rapid Rugby.
“We will be keeping a watching brief on developments in the events space and our team will be working with event organisers on a case-by-case basis,” said Mr Green.
“In the meantime, we are urging our community where possible to conduct business via phone or email. We are also asking anyone who feels unwell to stay at home and avoid coming into our service centres or public facilities.
“The more we can limit visitors to our service centres and public facilities, the less likelihood there is of illness among our staff, and the wider community.”
Poll: Should the government levy industries that contribute to financial hardship?
As reported in the Post, there’s a $30 million funding gap in financial mentoring. This has led to services closing and mentors stepping in unpaid just to keep helping people in need 🪙💰🪙
One proposed solution? Small levies on industries that profit from financial hardship — like banks, casinos, and similar companies.
So we want to hear what you think:
Should the government ask these industries to contribute?
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59.4% Yes, supporting people is important!
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26.3% No, individuals should take responsibility
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14.3% ... It is complicated
Brain Teaser of the Day 🧠✨ Can You Solve It? 🤔💬
Make a hearty dish. Take just half a minute. Add four parts of kestrel. Then just add one. What have you made?
(Trev from Silverdale kindly provided this head-scratcher ... thanks, Trev!)
Do you think you know the answer? Simply 'Like' this post and we'll post the answer in the comments below at 2pm on the day!
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Do you recognise these people?
Bay of Plenty Police are seeking to the public’s help to identify the three people pictured in these images.
We believe they may be able to assist us with our enquiries into a breach of the Mount Maunganui landslide cordon on Wednesday 11 February and Sunday 15 February.
If you are one of these people, or you recognise them, please update us through 105 either online or over the phone.
Please use reference number 260217/6366.
Information can also be provided anonymously through Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.
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