Covid-19 Delta outbreak: How compliant has Whanganui been in level 4?

Kowhai Park is shut under alert level 4. Photo / Bevan Conley

Whanganui police say locals have been largely compliant, apart from a few night owls, to the rules imposed as part of the Covid-19 level 4 lockdown.

Sergeant Colin Wright said he and other officers were doing regular "reassurance" visits to essential businesses like supermarkets, pharmacies and petrol stations.

"We're just putting our heads in and talking to staff there so they know we are there and about," he said.

He said customers and staff were complying with the Government's mask-wearing mandate.

Where a customer did not have a mask they were getting supplied one by the business they were visiting.

In terms of traffic, Wright said he was disappointed in three situations in the middle of the night where people did not stop when police signalled for them to do so.

"You'd have to ask what they were doing out at the early hours of the morning and obviously taking off from police as well ... that's a bit disappointing," he said.

A lot of the time police were clarifying what people can and can't do; for example, Wright described rules around exercise as not being "black and white".

"Last year you couldn't drive anywhere [for exercise].

"Now the Ministry of Health is saying you can drive to go and do exercise," he said.

That meant police officers had to do their best to understand whether or not people were trying to comply with the rules, Wright said.

Police had also received a lot of messages from people concerned that others were breaking lockdown rules - particularly having people at their house who were not in their bubble.

In those situations police were doing door knocks to find out what was happening at those houses and to find out who lived there.

Police that were doing checks on essential businesses were now working out of the Gonville police station so that if there is an infection it does not contaminate the larger workforce at the city centre station.

The national headquarters of the police said there had been 726 complaints about people breaking lockdown rules in its Central District, an area that includes Taranaki, Ruapehu, Manawatū and Ōtaki as well as Whanganui.

Of those complaints, 432 were about a gathering, 230 were about a business and 64 were about a person.

As of 5pm on Wednesday, one person had been charged and 29 warnings had been issued in the Central District.

Police had issued 25 infringement notices in the area, 23 of which were for failing to remain at home.

Of the other two notices, one was for failing to comply with physical distancing rules and one was for failing to wear a mask.

The Whanganui District Council said it had received two complaints about people congregating at playgrounds.