Essential services will continue to be provided across Christchurch and Banks Peninsula in Alert Level 4 but all Christchurch City Council-owned public facilities will be closed.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced that the entire country will move to COVID-19 Alert Level 4 from 11.59pm tonight for at least three days. Auckland and the Coromandel area will be in lockdown for at least seven days.

This alert level change means there will be no public access to our libraries, recreation and sport centres, pools (including He Puna Taimoana), community centres, service centres, the Civic Offices, the Christchurch Art Gallery, the Akaroa Museum, and the visitors centre in the Botanic Gardens from that time.

All parks, including the Botanic Gardens, will remain open, but playgrounds and outdoor exercise equipment will be closed.

People using the parks will need to stay two-metres away from those who are not part of their bubble.

“As with the lockdown last year, Christchurch City Council will continue to provide essential services such as water, wastewater, traffic control and kerbside rubbish collection throughout the Alert Level 4 restrictions,’’ says Mayor Lianne Dalziel.

“Many of our other services, including the processing of building and resource consents, will continue to be provided by staff, who will be working from home. Our lockdown experience last year means that we have good systems in place to deliver these services remotely.

“Whilst we all hoped that we would not need to go into Alert Level 4again, we have prepared for that eventuality and we are well placed to keep city services functioning,’’ says Mayor Dalziel.

“Please be kind to one another and keep each other safe by following the Government’s health advice at this time.’’

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