Central Hawke's Bay District Council prepares for Omicron impact

CHB Mayor Alex Walker.

With the country in phase three of the red light setting of the Government's Covid-19 Protection Framework, Central Hawke's Bay District Council is putting its business continuity plan into action to ensure critical services continue through the peak of the Omicron outbreak.

The plan will prioritise critical services based on the provision of lifeline services and activities that keep the community safe. This means the community will see critical services like water, wastewater and stormwater continue to function, and other critical activities and functions like animal control, solid waste and land transport maintenance continue.

As the spread of Omicron continues, the community can expect activities to be impacted based on staff availability, whether it be the availability of building inspectors or staff to repair minor network leaks.

"Ensuring the safety of our people and our community is our greatest priority, as we shift through the challenges of Omicron," says Monique Davidson, chief executive officer.

"We ask for the community's patience as we work through what will be challenging times not just for our organisation, but our wider community."

If Central Hawke's Bay becomes significantly disrupted by community transmission, the community can expect some services to close or be restricted. Services like the Waipawa Library and pool, maintenance of parks and open spaces and the Municipal Theatre and CHB Museum are likely to be affected and may need to close temporarily as staff are reallocated to other critical services.

While council continues to operate services largely as usual, it is prepared to adjust these services and adapt quickly to the changing landscape following advice from Government.

"Being prepared not scared is the key message," says Central Hawke's Bay Mayor Alex Walker.

"If you haven't yet, now is the time to make sure you have plans for how your household or business will manage through either isolations or sickness that will affect your business operations."

A "Make A Plan" checklist has been created to help households gather information on resources available across the district and includes information on items deemed useful should a family be required to isolate for weeks at a time. This checklist is available through the council website: chbdc.govt.nz/assets/Document-Library/COVID-19/Helpful-Resources/Make-a-Plan-Checklist.

Other business support including financial assistance information, dealing with Omicron in the workplace and testing and returning to work can be found at business.govt.nz/covid-19/

Information on any affected council services will be updated regularly on the council's Facebook page @chbdistrictcouncil and the webpage chbdc.govt.nz by searching Covid-19.