Playground equipment “must not be used” during the four week lockdown to fight the spread of Covid-19, the Dunedin City Council (DCC) has urged.
Council parks and cemetery manager Scott MacLean said while it would not be possible to “physically” close most playgrounds, people could only use the green space for walking.
Sports fields would also be closed for games and he said although reserves would remain open, they should be used by people only to pass through and “enjoy open space”.
The University of Otago preventive and social medicine chairwoman Prof Jennie Connor agreed with the measures and said there could be a possibility of spreading Covid-19 if children continued to play on the same equipment, even at different times.
She advised families to stay away from public spaces where people had usually congregated.
“If families use playground equipment, then other families will assume it is OK to use it and there is likely to be mixing.
“Also, there may be distress in the families where children are not allowed to go.”
Prof Connor said the rules were important to ensure no-one mixed with people outside of their household.
“With respect to other outdoor activity ... walks and play outdoors would be OK in places where there is no-one else.”
The DCC would suspend non-essential maintenance of parks and reserves while the country was at alert Level 4, including the mowing of grass.
It would continue rubbish collection from reserves and emergency work would be carried out if needed.
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"The DCC would suspend non-essential maintenance of parks and reserves while the country was at alert Level 4, including the mowing of grass".
Will the dcc then suspend the rate payments used for this work seeing as they won't be using the money?.
OMG another doom and gloom Vandervis cheerleader.
Kezza did you grow up where all children were given a medal for running a race no matter where you placed? Money doesn't grow on trees, you can't expect the DCC have all these thundering good ideas, to cut services but have nothing to benefit the rate payers. Would you pay for a gym member ship and not be able to go. Wake up
Since left.
Well well well. Since left, in that name I take it you are not in Dunners.
Anyway, yes I did remember the 1st, 2nd and 3rd placings. I also remember the bullying and all the other bad shit, should we keep that as well? If you want the good old days you take the crap that it entailed as well.
FYI. it is 2020, it is new, accept it and move on.