Two Covid cases in Levin, 11 February 2022

MidCentral District Health Board posted on Facebook on 11 February 2022:

MidCentral COVID-19 Update #2 Friday 11 February 2022

As reported earlier today, we have two new cases of COVID-19 in MidCentral, both of these cases have been confirmed as members of the same household in Levin. This brings the total number of active cases in the rohe (region) to thirteen.

A Public Health investigation is currently underway to identify any high-risk locations of interest and close contacts. Close contacts will be notified by Contact Tracers directly and any locations of interest where people need to self-identify as close contacts will be published to the Ministry of Health webpage here: bit.ly/LOIMDHB.

Beware stingrays folks, January 2022

A report of the Waikawa Beach Facebook page today of someone stung by a stingray:

Keep an eye out for stingrays basking in the warm shallows. We helped a couple back to their car yesterday after the woman received two quite big wounds on her ankle – from one or two stingrays that she walked into/startled as she came out of the water. She was in quite a bit of pain but was able to bandage it and stop the bleeding with a scarf and walk to the car – then they headed for medical help. We made sure to splash a lot in the water after that!

This occurred about 11 ish at the northern part of the beach – north of the track across the dunes that is accessed from the forest.

Commenters pointed out they’ve seen stingrays around recently too.

Burglary and suspicious car activity at Waikawa Beach in January 2022

From the Neighbourhood Support Newsletter 14 January 2022:

  • Burglary: Waikawa Beach Rd (520-550) 06 January 2022 (between Walkers Lane and Emma Drive)
  • Car/person acting suspiciously: Drake Street 9-11 January 2022

For more information or to get your own copy of the weekly Neighbourhood Support newsletter contact:

Deborah Campbell
District Coordinator | Horowhenua Neighbourhood Support
L/L 06 3660574 – P 021 222 1006

E info@horowhenuansg.org.nz

C/ Levin Police Station: 7 Bristol Street, Levin 5510

Check before swimming at Waikawa, December 2021

Horizons Regional Council are warning everyone to be careful around river and beach swim spots this summer: Swimmers advised to take care before diving in (23 December 2021, 11:23 AM). They say:

Horizons Regional Council’s swim spot monitoring results have shown many river and beach sites are currently not suitable for swimming or collecting kai following the recent heavy rainfall and flooding across the region.

Indicators that determine the grading for swim spots, which is E.coli for freshwater sites and Enterococci at coastal sites, can increase significantly with high rainfall as contaminants from urban and rural settings are washed into waterways. …

“This week Waikawa, Himatangi and Foxton beaches have also all returned one sample showing high levels of Enteroccoci. They are now being resampled with results expected tomorrow night and if a second high Enterococci result is returned, they will be closed as well. …

“Enterococci is a naturally occurring bacteria found in the gut of humans and animals and at high levels indicates a health risk to people when swimming or participating in other water related activities.

“If the coastal swim spots council monitors for contact recreation returns a result greater than 280 Enterococci per 100mL the swim spot is resampled within 24 hours following Ministry of Health guidelines.”

It’s so unusual for the water quality at our Tasman Sea site (just north of the river mouth) to be poor that we don’t usually keep tabs on it. The graph for measurements from the last 5 years shows only 3 readings that aren’t green — all from December 2021.

Tasman Sea readings.
Tasman Sea readings.

Meanwhile, readings at the footbridge that have been high, have dropped again.

Footbridge readings, this season.
Footbridge readings, this season.

Be careful swimming after recent big rains

Horizons Regional Council warns on 17 December 2021, 2:55 PM: Horizons swim spots to be treated with caution following week’s rain:

…due to the recent heavy rainfall the Manawatū-Whanganui Region has experienced Horizons Regional Council is recommending people stay out of freshwater and coastal swim spots for at least the next three days.

Continue reading “Be careful swimming after recent big rains”

Covid-19 and summer at Waikawa Beach

As we come up to the summer break Horowhenua is at Covid-19 Alert Level Orange. This may affect how we do our usual summer activities such as Sports Day, Boat Day, Sand Sculpture Day and the AGM, or community BBQs. The Committee is discussing this in regard to the activities we organise.

In brief, I read the requirements below to say: if everyone over the age of 12 years and 3 months shows a My Vaccine Pass then gatherings can go ahead with no limits, otherwise there is a limit of 50 people.

The official Covid-19 website specifies on the page Public and private gatherings at Orange (below are excerpts from the full text):

You can gather with anyone at Orange, with My Vaccine Pass requirements and restrictions.… Examples of gatherings that can go ahead at Orange include:

  • get-togethers and parties at your home or private dwelling
  • club functions
  • social sports
  • free public concerts in a park
  • community fairs

With My Vaccine Pass

If a gathering chooses to follow My Vaccine Pass requirements, only people with a My Vaccine Pass are allowed to be there. Children under the age of 12 years and 3 months do not need to provide a My Vaccine Pass to enter places with a vaccination requirement.

You will be asked to show your My Vaccine Pass when you are at the venue.

There is no limit to how many people can be at the venue.

Without My Vaccine Pass

If a venue for a gathering chooses not to follow My Vaccine Pass requirements:

  • At a gathering at your home, there can be up to 50 people.
  • At gatherings held at other venues, there can be up to 50 people based on 1-metre physical distancing in a single defined space at the venue at any time.

They can be a mix of people with and without My Vaccine Pass.

The limit applies to both indoor and outdoor venues.

The limit includes children. It does not include staff.

1-metre physical distancing and capacity limits

Capacity limits are based on the maximum number of people who could occupy the space if each person was 1 metre apart. People do not have to keep 1 metre apart at the venue.