Northland news in brief: Planned bridge closure, Covid on rise in Northland

Te Matau a Pohe Bridge will be closed for six hours for maintenance. Photo / Christine Allen

Te Matau a Pohe Bridge has a closure planned for 9am until 3pm on Tuesday, June 18. The bridge will close for about six hours for operational and emergency training. It will be closed for vehicles and pedestrians. A detour will be via Dent Street and Riverside Drive. For marine users, normal operations will resume after the 4pm-6pm non-operating period. With a prior booking, vessels may be able to get out in the hour after 3pm.

Art brings nature in

New artwork in mental health buildings across Northland hopes to help patients feel welcomed, as well as giving a nod to nurses. The artworks were made possible by Health Fund PLUS, a partnership between Northland Community Foundation and Te Whatu Ora Te Tai Tokerau. They went up to mark International Nurses Day in May. The centrepiece artwork is a wall decal in the Tumanako Inpatient Unit, pictured, which brings nature into the entrance of a high-care area.

Covid numbers up

Covid cases in Northland are up, according to wastewater testing. ESR’s latest wastewater surveillance, for the week ending May 26, shows an average of 5.93 million copies of the virus detected per person, per day - three times higher than the week before. However, this is still significantly less than the last big spike, in April 2023, when there were 18 million copies. The Government has announced rapid antigen tests (RATs) will remain free until the end of September. The numbers of flu-like illnesses is also up in Northland and Auckland, according to GP consultations.

Habitat homes

Habitat for Humanity Northern is heading to eastern Nepal to help local families build safe and quality homes for their community. Take the opportunity to tick off some bucket-list walks while also spending a week working alongside local families and like-minded volunteers. No construction experience is needed, just a can-do attitude. The trip will take place between November 11-15. To apply, email james.davies@habitat.org.nz.

Dog training

The Kiwis 4 Kiwi staff will be at Tahi Barn, 1824 Pataua North Road on Sunday, June 9 to train dogs for kiwi aversion. This ensures a safe habitat for kiwi that have been released. Even the smallest dog can kill kiwi and the Department of Conservation recommends dogs be retrained every year. The service is free and takes between 10-15 minutes. You can register on the event page on Facebook or through this link. https://bit.ly/Kiwi9June.

Lotto luck

A Whangārei Lotto player is almost $25,000 better-off after being one of 29 tickets nationality that won Lotto Second Division on Wednesday. The ticket, sold on MyLotto in Whangārei, won its holder $24,952. The Powerball was not struck on Wednesday and will be a must-be-won $50million on Saturday.