Whanganui 'crinkled' not flattened after two years since Covid-19 lockdown

Whanganui Mayor Hamish McDouall reflects on two years since the first Covid-19 lockdown was announced. Photo / Lewis Gardner

Opinion

It has been two years since a state of emergency was declared and the entire nation went into self-isolation in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Whanganui mayor Hamish McDouall talks to Liz Wylie about his recollections and how the district has fared during the past 24 months.

Hamish McDouall was in the early months of his second term as mayor after being elected unopposed in October 2019 when the Government announced New Zealand would be moving to level 4 of its new four-tiered Covid-19 alert level.

That began at 11.59pm on March 25, 2020.

"I had anticipated that we might face an influenza strain that would be severe enough to pose a public health threat in our country but Covid, of course, is something we've never seen before and there was no way to anticipate its trajectory at the outset," he said.

"My first thought was that as someone in a public-facing role, I would need to work to keep the community safe but also to keep my family safe. I did think about moving out of our home and going to live in our boathouse for a while to keep the family safe."

Two years on, McDouall said he is proud of how well Whanganui has weathered Covid and recalls how good things were in the summer of 2020 into 2021.

"We had record numbers of visitors and all our big events were able to go ahead over summer - it was a great feeling. Then along came the Delta variant and we went back into lockdown last August.

"It has been frustrating that so much of the council's efforts have had to be spent on Covid responses but I feel like we have made some pretty remarkable progress nonetheless. We worked hard to secure the money we needed for the port development and things are progressing well."

The mayor is pleased that funding has been secured and work is progressing on Te Puwaha port project during the Covid pandemic. Photo / Bevan Conley

McDouall said manufacturing and construction are two areas that have been progressing well in the district despite Covid disruptions.

"While some local businesses have been able to continue almost unabated I know it has been very hard for others. I particularly feel for hospitality businesses that have really borne the brunt of lockdowns and the red traffic light restrictions over summer. We all need to support them as best we can."

McDouall said he felt for young people who had been finishing high school and trying to start their adult lives during the past two years.

"I know young people wanting to head overseas and explore the world and a young woman I know recently contracted Omicron when she was about to compete in a national sports tournament. She's absolutely devastated to be missing the opportunity.

"I encourage people to continue vigilance and keep wearing masks and taking all the same precautions as they have for the previous Covid variants. Omicron can still have devastating effects even though it is a less severe strain of the virus. Young, fit and healthy people have said it has left them feeling very tired and weakened."

The mayor said the pandemic also had a profound impact on the older population in terms of social contacts.

"I'm actually quite relieved that my father is no longer here because he was such a social person and I know he would have found the isolation hard. My mother is a social person too and she has found it hard when driving to appointments and seeing how empty the streets are.

"I think everybody needs to come back together as soon as we are able and enjoy all the wonderful events that make us unique."

McDouall said he did not wish to dwell on community differences of opinion over vaccinations and mandates.

"Everyone needs to put those differences of opinion aside and move on," he said.

"I never imagined that we would still be dealing with the effects of Covid two years on. Whanganui has not been flattened by this virus - we're just a bit crinkled and it shouldn't be too hard to iron out those crinkles if we all do our bit.

"I think the 'be kind' message delivered by the Prime Minister at the start of the pandemic is still a good one and that's what we need to be doing at this stage to keep moving forward."

McDouall said he recalled Whanganui was in a good place in March 2020.

"In March 2022 we're still in a good place despite Covid and we will move forward to a better place," he said.