A message from Police: Have a safe Easter – at home

Please attribute to Police Commissioner Andrew Coster

Police is urging New Zealanders to stay safe by staying home this Easter.

Police will be ramping up visibility in communities and on the roads including operating checkpoints over the Easter period, making sure people are safe and complying with the COVID-19 Alert Level 4 restrictions.

We know many New Zealanders may have been planning to catch up with friends and family this weekend, or travel to traditional holiday destinations but we urge anyone who was planning to do this – please change your plans and stay home.

To help ensure people know about the Health Act restrictions, Police will be out and about checking that people are travelling for essential purposes only.

Officers will be visible in our communities and on the roads, including around popular holiday spots, and on the arterial roads to them, to make sure people are aware of the requirement that everyone in New Zealand need to stay at their current place of residence while the Level 4 restrictions are in place.

Police will also be deploying checkpoints at a number of locations, in collaboration with local authorities and Civil Defence Emergency Management Groups. Our primary focus will be on reminding people if you don’t have to travel, then please don’t.

It’s simple - travelling to and from different towns and cities risks spreading Covid-19, and puts lives at risk. Travelling to the bach for a holiday is not essential travel and it is not permitted.

Police’s first step will be to educate, but if people continue to break the rules, Police will use their discretion to warn people, or if necessary, they could be arrested.

We’re asking everyone to play their part this Easter, stick to the rules and stay home within their bubble – and keep themselves and their communities safe.