Status of Northland events in wake of Covid-19

Lyn Brown from Whangarei watches from above at the Fritter Festival at the Northland Events Centre in March 2019. Photo / John Stone

The Government has banned gatherings of more than 500 people to help stop the spread of coronavirus, but even before yesterday's announcement organisers of many large Northland events had already pulled the plug.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said within the next month there were 107 events with more than 1000 attendees expected to take place in New Zealand's major centres - but the Government had to protect the public from Covid-19.

"To slow the spread and reduce the number of people infected ... Cabinet agreed that gatherings of 500 or more people held outdoors or indoors should be cancelled."

This applied to non-essential events including sporting and religious events, but excluded school or university events.

Here's a list of events in Northland that have been cancelled so far:

■ Race Relations Day, Forum North, Whangārei, scheduled for March 18 - postponed indefinitely.

■ Northland Kiwi Hui, Te Tii Marae, Waitangi, scheduled for March 20-22 - postponed until November 6-8.

■ Bay of Islands Waka Festival, Tii Beach, Waitangi, scheduled for March 21-22. Cancelled. A new date will be set later this year.

■ Mangawhai central's sustainability conference this Thursday- cancelled

■ Dargaville River Festival on March 28- postponed until October 31

■ Whangārei District Council's community funding expo, planned for April 1 to 3 at Whangārei, Kaikohe and Dargaville - cancelled

■ St Francis Xavier Catholic School gala day in Whangārei this Saturday - cancelled

■ Canopy Night Market in Whangārei this Friday - cancelled

■ Whangārei Fritter Festival on March 28 - cancelled

■ Relay for Life in Whangārei on March 28/29 - postponed

■ Opera in the Garden concert in Whangārei on April 4 - postponed. No new date yet