Covid 19 coronavirus: Checkpoints helping to keep Maketū virus-free

One of the two checkpoints at the entrances to Maketū.

Education rather than intimidation has been the key to what is being seen as the success of checkpoints at the entrances to Maketū.

The checkpoints were set up on Maketū Rd and Wilson Rd North in early April and are being co-ordinated by Wiremu (Lee) Edmonds and his wife Marsella.

Over time, people's reaction to them has altered.

"To be honest, I think when we first started the checkpoints, it started off a little bit rough in terms of it was a change for people to try and get used to and also to get our Maketū residents on board to help educate them and to get them to understand the importance of the work we were trying to do," says Wiremu.

He says the aim of the initiative wasn't specifically to turn away visitors or tourists, but to protect the village.

"We believe that, to date, Covid-19 is not in Maketū, so we are doing everything we can as volunteers to protect our village from Covid-19."

He says for some residents who were heeding the call not to travel, it was five or six days before they discovered the checkpoints.

"That was really awesome to see. We've also got our regulars who have been going in and out and we've had an opportunity to talk to them and we continue to remind them about essential travel and how important it is to adhere to the level four lockdown."

There is no doubt the volunteers have had a huge amount of support.

"We've had so much positive comment and feedback — and we've had food: lollies, Easter eggs, rēwena bread, boil ups, smoked fish — you name it — we've had sandwiches made for our team every morning and dropped off by residents - the unreal outpouring of love and the unity that has formed within our community on the one goal has been somewhat unreal.''

The number of people being turned away has varied each day, but there was a spike in numbers over Easter weekend.

''It was people travelling to Maketū from other regions who wanted to come here and get pipis or walk along the beach or wanting to get some downtime away from their homes, and it's those people we have asked politely if they can go back to the regions they have come from.

''We are also still turning around a number of freedom campers and tourists who are unaware that we are managing the traffic flow into Maketū — we are very polite in the way we deal with them and they are very polite in the way they respond and they really understand what we are trying to achieve.''

There are 35-40 volunteers working in teams of three at the checkpoints.

A kaitiaki documents the traffic movements.

Wiremu says the team is prepared to continue with the checkpoints as long as is deemed necessary.

Maketū Health and Social Services tumuaki (CEO) Shontell Peawini says it is crucial to keep the virus out of Maketū ''because of the vulnerability of people and the lack of resources to deal with an outbreak".

''Statistics gathered at the checkpoints have been posted on Facebook to keep the community informed.

''After a week we held a community hui and said what do we do from here because, although we are keeping non residents out, it also seemed to us that we [residents] are the biggest risk of bringing it in — now we are stopping cars and having the conversation if we feel we need to.''

Hui have been held over Zoom - and renamed zui.

Maketū Community Board chairman Shane Beech says he can see the good that the checkpoints are doing, ''especially when I see the statistics that are being put out''.