Mayors across the Wellington region are urging residents to wear their face masks like armour as if they were going into battle as we get set to move to Alert Level 3 at 11.59pm tonight.

Chair of the Wellington Region Mayoral Forum and Upper Hutt Mayor Wayne Guppy says it’s important for all of us to play by the rules to allow us to get back to some normality.

“Following the alert level guidelines is what will help keep whānau and friends safe.

“I’ve been impressed by the number of people wearing face masks when out taking their daily exercise and the high number of people turning up to get vaccinated.

“Getting vaccinated and wearing a face mask when we are accessing essential services or taking exercise locally in areas where physical distancing can’t be maintained are the two simple things everyone can do to help us avoid future lockdowns.”

Wellington Mayor Andy Foster thanked everyone in the Wellington region for playing by the alert level rules.

“Everyone is doing a good job. It is by continuing to work together as a team of five million and following the rules at every alert level that we will stop this virus getting in and around our community.

“We know we have to be a lot better at contact tracing, but it’s great to see so many people getting tested and vaccinated. This will make a difference.”

Kāpiti Coast District Mayor K Gurunathan also commended residents across the region for their efforts to help stop the Delta variant in its tracks, but said a cautious approach is still required.

“Delta is a very different beast, and we all need to continue to do our bit to help ensure our lives can return to normal as quickly as possible.

“Wearing a face mask or a face covering is one of our first lines of defence against the Delta variant,” says Mayor Gurunathan. “The second is to get vaccinated and urge anyone you know who is eligible for a vaccine to make an appointment.”

Porirua City Mayor Anita Baker says it is encouraging the region is beginning to see the positive effects of people wearing face coverings and following the official advice and alert level guidelines.

“Everyone has done a great job so far in complying with the alert level rules. It’s important that we don’t let our guard down now, there’s too much at stake.”

South Wairarapa District Mayor Alex Beijen said, “it is by only doing what is expected of us that we can get back to some sort of a normal life.

“There is only one opportunity to hit COVID-19 outbreaks hard. If we don’t work together as a region, and a nation, the impacts will be much longer and harder. This is not the time for complacency.”

Carterton District Mayor Greg Lang acknowledged that while the move to Alert Level 3 gives us a few more freedoms we need to stay vigilant.

“This means keeping track of where we’ve been using the NZ COVID Tracer app and wearing a face covering when we go out in public. Wearing a face mask is a simple precaution and it will help us in our fight against this COVID-19 pandemic.”

Masterton District Mayor Lyn Patterson urged everyone to stay positive.

“This is a continues to be a challenging time for our community, but we’ve been here before and we know what to do – stay home, stay calm and be patient and kind.

Chair of the Greater Wellington Regional Council, Daran Ponter reinforced the need for people to remain vigilant and reminded residents to follow the alert level rules.

“As we work our way down alert levels face masks remain essential on public transport at alert levels 1, 2, 3 and 4. This, along with keeping track of where you’ve been, is not negotiable.

“Whether we like it or not we are all in this together and I’m asking everyone in our region to play their part in helping to stamp out this virus.”

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