Focus: How to stop the spread of coronavirus. Video / AP / Mark Mitchell
The Salvation Army is asking the public to stop donating items during the Covid-19 lockdown, as some of its stores continue to be flooded with donations left outside.
All Salvation Army stores are closed while the country is under alert level 4 and are not taking donations but this hasn't stopped people from dumping items in front of them.
Photos on social media show a stockpile of water-damaged items in front of the New Lynn store.
One person who shared a photo urged people to stop leaving items at the store until the lockdown is over.
A stockpile of damaged donations in front of the New Lynn Salvation Army store. Photo / Facebook
"Guys, please stop doing this!" she wrote.
"The Salvation Army do so much to help everyone in need. Dumping your unwanted goods when they are obviously closed due to the virus or dumping your rubbish at night is so incredibly unfair.
"People rummage through it during the night and leave all this mess, and at the moment, there is no one to pick it up and so unfair on their staff to come back to clean up all this mess.
"With the virus, it is quite likely everything here will have to be thrown away - it's such a waste!"
A stockpile of damaged donations in front of the New Lynn Salvation Army store. Photo / Facebook
A Salvation Army spokesperson told the Herald that during the lockdown, its staff are not allowed to touch or move items left behind by the public, therefore councils are dealing with the issue.
They added that all their stores display signs stating they are closed and not taking donations at this time.
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"We love getting donations when we can take them, but at the moment, it's a health hazard and it is a problem.
"We are really appealing to people that while they might be cleaning up their houses, we can't take anything."
In a previous article that highlighted the problem of people littering gloves at supermarkets, experts told the Herald that potentially contaminated items could put others in the community at risk - especially those who have to clean up the litter.
During the lockdown, people should be driving only to places that provide essential services, unless an essential worker.
