Dunedin (Friday, 3 April 2020) – The Mayor of Dunedin and Southern District Police are praising the community’s response to the Covid-19 lockdown so far, but are also urging residents not to get complacent.

Mayor Aaron Hawkins says, “The vast majority of people in Dunedin have been doing all the right things, which is very encouraging. I want to thank people for that, because by staying home they are saving lives.

“However, we must keep in mind that this a marathon, not a sprint. The only way we will slow and eliminate the spread of the virus is by all of us continuing to follow the lockdown rules.

“With warmer weather forecast over the coming days and Easter time approaching, we don’t want to see, for example, people spending their weekends flocking to the beach or to holiday homes.”

Mr Hawkins says he also wants to thank all the essential service workers, particularly those on the frontline, for supporting the community in what is currently an incredibly stressful and challenging environment. “If you do need to go to the supermarket or pharmacy, show those essential workers your support by being patient and being kind towards them,” he says.

Acting Southern District Police Commander, Superintendent Darryl Sweeney, also praised the community’s response to date.

Acting Superintendent Sweeney says Southern District Police are seeing a decrease in crime across the board in areas such as burglary, theft, serious assaults, and traffic offences.

There have been some isolated incidents where there were reports of people congregating. In those situations, people were spoken to by Police and provided with advice on what the restrictions mean.

“In general, communities across the region have followed the guidance and people have stayed home. But we need an even higher level of compliance to make a difference and save lives. The weekend is coming but that’s not a reason to relax – we are trying to protect each other and our families. Stay home, save lives – the message is simple,” he says.

“While you can leave your home to exercise you need to keep it local – don’t drive long distances to beaches or parks for fresh air. Stay close to your home. In short, if it’s on your doorstep or close it’s fine, if you have to drive any real distance it’s not.”

“Stay calm, be compassionate and kind to one another, and I have confidence that police and our partners are here to support all communities,” Acting Superintendent Sweeney says.

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