Wellingtonians are being urged to think outside the box for their exercise instead of going to Oriental Parade. Photo / Ross Setford.
Wellingtonians are being urged to think outside the box for their exercise instead of going to Oriental Parade. Photo / Ross Setford.
Wellington City Council isn't ruling out closing the Mt Victoria lookout and Oriental Parade to stop people flocking to the recreation hotspots during the Covid-19 lockdown.
Police Commissioner Mike Bush has already indicated more officers would be deployed to Oriental Parade to disperse groups not playing by the rules.
The council considered closing the Parade a drastic move, but could not rule it out if people were unable to maintain two metre distancing from one another.
Mayor Andy Foster has urged Wellingtonians to avoid the popular spots if possible to mitigate the risk of the virus spreading.
"Police Commissioner, Mike Bush, and Director of Civil Defence Emergency Management, Sarah Stuart-Black, both fellow Wellingtonians, have expressed concerns about how busy places like Oriental Parade and Mount Victoria summit have been during this fine weather.
"We don't want to have to close the Mount Victoria lookout, but we will be obliged to if too many people are going up there. Again it is just trying to keep us all safe, and get us through the lockdown as quickly as possible."
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Bush personally drove past Oriental Bay on Sunday night and saw a lot of people enjoying the sunshine at the end of a rainy weekend.
Most of them were playing by the rules but Bush said he saw a number not keeping a good social-distance - so would deploy more police staff to disperse the groups.
Foster supported people getting out for exercise, having gone for a run in between Zoom meetings himself yesterday, but he urged people not to congregate with other bubbles.
"Normally we all enjoy chatting on the street on a sunny day, but with this unseen, deadly virus, we need to keep good physical separation."
Council spokesman Richard MacLean said closing the Parade would be drastic, and the organisation hoped it would not reach that point.
"But if people keep on congregating and health authorities start becoming concerned, then we will consider our options, which could mean turning people away."
He said park rangers and staff were monitoring the situation as well as other areas along the waterfront.
MacLean urged people to think outside the box and consider walking or running in other areas of their neighbourhood.
"Oriental Bay is not the only place in Wellington to have a bit of a stroll", he said.
Police launched a website at the weekend where people could report apparent breaches of the lockdown rules.
It received 4200 reports within the first 24 hour of it going live.
