Covid-19 coronavirus: Retirement village residents in Auckland, New Plymouth go into complete lockdown

Residents from Bruce McLaren Retirement Village in Howick applaud staff for working through the COVID-19 emergency. Video / Supplied

Around 45,000 retirement village residents in 400 villages nationally are now living under more restricted conditions.

One NZX listed entity has gone even further barring all but emergency movements at seven Auckland and New Plymouth places.

Visitors are now barred and staff in full health and safety gear at all Auckland villages, owners say, but Summerset Group has shut all its Auckland and New Plymouth villages.

"We alerted all our Auckland and New Plymouth residents and their next of kin last night that we are closing our Auckland and New Plymouth villages from midnight until Wednesday at this stage," a Summerset spokesperson said.

Hobsonville, Warkworth, Karaka, Ellerslie and Manukau have Summerset villages and in New Plymouth, the business operates at Vogletown and Bell Block.

Read More

• Risks in rampant retirement village growth: study - NZ Herald
• Wide-sweeping retirement village law change mooted, owners reject suggestion - NZ Herald
• Retirement village population grows, 11,900 new units planned by big six operators - NZ Herald

"This is a precautionary move given the move to alert level 3 in Auckland and the newer and more infectious strains of Covid-19. We have chosen to close our New Plymouth villages as an extra precaution, given two of the positive cases visited the city."

Summerset is open elsewhere but with extra precautions for visits to hospitals or rest homes due to residents' increased vulnerability.

"Visitors to our care centres will be asked to wear masks in line with the recommended approach from the NZ Aged Care Association," the Summerset spokesperson said.

The Government says it will give financial support to businesses if the level 3 lockdown goes on longer than three days. People can go to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment website to get approval to travel in and out of Auckland.

Graham Wilkinson of national privately-owned Generus Group said last night residents at that company's villages in Auckland, Tauranga and Christchurch were advised to stay at home other than for essential movement.

Village access was now restricted and family codes disabled in the Auckland alert level 3 at the company's Mt Albert Ranfurly Village. That means access to 539 Mt Albert Rd and 37 Warren Ave was barred, with warning signage up.

All organised trips were cancelled until further notice, Wilkinson said.

"No external visitors are allowed to enter the Ranfurly village," he said.

ALERT_STAGES

Earl Gasparich, chief executive of national Oceania, said aged care centres and retirement villages nationwide were closed to visitors.

"Our aged care and retirement village staff are essential workers and therefore will continue to come to work with face masks worn and temperature checking on every shift. We understand that these restrictions will be an inconvenience to our families however they are appropriate given the responsibility to keep our residents and staff safe," Gasparich said.

Arvida has also posted an update telling its residents how to act under the new lockdown measures.