Hospital park and ride shuttle goes on hold

Christchurch Hospital. Photo: RNZ / Karen Brown
Christchurch Hospital. Photo: RNZ / Karen Brown
The park and ride shuttle service at Christchurch Hospital will be put on hold from 8.30pm tonight.

The Canterbury District Health Board says the temporary shutdown of the service is in response to the government's Covid-19 alert level four, due to come into effect at 11.59pm on Wednesday.

Patients and visitors currently have to park their vehicles at a parking building about one and a half kilometres away on Lichfield St.

The CDHB says public car parking spaces around Christchurch Hospital won't have time restrictions or fees after the country enters level 4.

Incident controller Dan Coward said stopping the movement of people was a key part of keeping the community safe.

Meanwhile, the CDHB is also delaying non-urgent surgeries, procedures and face-to-face outpatient appointments.

"These efforts to limit people coming onto our sites to help us slow the spread of COVID-19 are likely to mean that there is more parking closer to Christchurch Hospital than usual," Mr Coward said.

"We ask that people coming into Christchurch Hospital are mindful of making sure essential health workers and people that are less mobile can park as close as possible to hospital."

The following council parking rules still apply:

* Do not park in mobility parking spaces unless a pass is held.

* Do not park on broken yellow lines or where no-parking signs are present.

* Do not park in or across access ways.

*No parking in loading zones or resident parking spaces.

Drop-off zones outside the main entrance to Christchurch Hospital and outside Outpatients on Oxford Tce continue to operate if you are able to have someone drop you off and collect you.

There is no waiting time for the drop-off zones.