Gisborne readers will be delighted to learn that the HB Willliams Memorial Library will open for longer hours from Monday. In addition, Council will resume pre-lockdown hours at Customer Services, with counter service open to the public from 9am-5pm in Gisborne.

“Extending the Library hours is a wonderful sign that things are slowly returning to normal, but Alert Level 2 restrictions are still in force,” said Pene Walsh, Council’s cultural activities manager.

She said the Library would now be open 9am-5.30pm Monday Friday, with a late closing on Tuesdays of 8pm. On Saturdays the Library will open from 9.30am-1pm.

“Returned books will still go into quarantine, but more importantly, customers need to maintain physical distancing, browsing time is still limited to half an hour and we are required to maintain contact tracing.

“At Alert Level 1 we envisage that we will return to full services, but Government won’t be making that decision until next week.”

Contact tracing will also still be undertaken at the Customer Services counters in Council buildings.

Council customer engagement manager Anita Reedy-Holthausen said staff at the Gisborne offices were looking forward to a return to relative normality.

“We’d like to remind everyone that most of the services people come in for can be done online or over the phone,” said Ms Reedy-Holthausen.

“That’s really important while we are under COVID-19 restrictions. Our phone lines are open 24 hours a day for urgent matters, and you can of course do most of your business via our website.

“It’s because New Zealanders have been so cooperative during the pandemic that we have had such a stellar result with the virus throughout the country,” she said.

“We appear to be on the final lap and we’d like to ask for you to be patient and take these continuing restrictions in good humour. We are doing our best to keep the community safe.”

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