· It’s day 2 of our three-day Taranaki lockdown.

· We have no known cases in the region and no places of interest so far.

· We’ve got this and we need to stay in our bubbles, stay home and save lives.

· Ten people in Auckland, including a man who travelled to the Coromandel region on the weekend, have now tested positive for the highly-transmissible Delta variant of Covid.

· Genome testing shows the cases are linked to the New South Wales outbreak and health authorities are including recent travellers in their contact tracing.

· More cases are expected to be found and health authorities are looking at about 70 places of interest.

· We know how it works and we all need to be kind, be patient and stay calm.

· For all the latest updates check out the Covid 19 website: https://covid19.govt.nz/.

Mask up & Vax up

· Its mask up time.

· It’s now compulsory to wear a mask in public places.

· Teens and adults must wear a mask from today if in public places, public transport and essential services places, like supermarkets, petrol stations and chemists.

· Vaccinations are now open to people aged 40-plus.

· So book it in and let’s vax to the max!

· For COVID-19 vaccination advice call 0800 28 29 26 (8am - 8pm 7 days).

NPDC

· We have a robust business continuity plan in place which means we’re continuing to deliver essential services while sticking to the lockdown rules.

· Our public venues are closed, including all our libraries, pools, playgrounds, customer centres and the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery and Puke Ariki.

· Most of our staff are working from home or at critical sites to provide essential services that we need to get through this, like water, wastewater, roading and public information.

· Those who are moving around the District to do essential work are sticking to the Alert Level 4 safe working rules.

· We’re still offering a contactless service so give us a call on 759 6060 or email us on enquiries@npdc.govt.nz

· The latest updates will be on the NPDC website: https://www.newplymouthnz.com/.

Rubbish collections

· We’re still doing kerbside rubbish collections but streamlining them in Alert Level 4, which means:

• Red and yellow-top bins will be collected as usual.
• No glass bin collections – stockpile your bottles and jars.
• No food scraps bin collections – put food scraps in your red-top landfill bin.
• Transfer stations are open for essential services only.

We know this isn’t ideal but lockdown is a game-changing situation.

Rates rebates

· Don’t worry if you’re due a rates rebate, you can still get it for the full year if you apply by 30 June next year.

· Pay your first instalment on time if you can, we’ll give the rebate later.

· If you can’t afford it, contact us.

· If you had an appointment, we’ll be in touch when the alert levels change.

Puke Ariki and libraries

· Don't worry about overdue items or fines – all loans are automatically extended over lockdown.

· Please don't return books or other library items to library after-hour slots until we reopen.

· If you have something on hold, we’ll keep it on hold till we reopen.

· Check out what’s available online here: https://pukeariki.com/libraries/digital-library/

· For more info, call 06-759 6060 or email Library@npdc.govt.nz.

Fast facts on level 4

· Let’s stay in our bubbles, stay home and save lives.

· Stay local, restrict travel, keep washing your hands with soap, where a mask when you’re out and remember the physical distancing rules.

· We know our residents have lots of common sense, will read the rules and stick to them.

· Be kind and be tolerant, and let’s look out for each other.

· If you’re feeling unwell or need medical advice, call Healthline on 0800 611 116 anytime.

· For COVID-19 health advice call 0800 358 5453 anytime.

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