Time called on Good Samaritans
The creators of a New Plymouth buy and sell Facebook group have shut it down over the coronavirus lockdown period and are urging others to do the same.
Sam Lindsay and her partner, Rex Everitt, created the group four years ago after noticing similar pages pop up without administrators. This sometimes saw users targeted by scammers.
On Wednesday, ahead of the country going into lockdown, Lindsay posted to the 12,255 members saying it was a good idea for the page to temporarily stop.
‘‘We went into lockdown early because we are both high risk and they were saying the virus can last on surfaces so it just made sense to let people know to shut it down for a while.
‘‘It just saves all that hassle and worry and there’s a lot of people out there who are scared about this situation.’’
Buy and sell pages are created on Facebook for different areas by residents and other locals can join and post things they are wanting to sell.
The transaction usually works by going to the person’s home and exchanging the money and the goods.
Before posting, Lindsay created a poll so members could vote on if the page should stop operating temporarily agreed.
Many members commented on Lindsay’s post, saying they had already pulled their listed items off.
Lindsay said it was something for other buy and sell pages to consider. and the majority ‘‘To all those that haven’t, it might be something worth considering.
‘‘It’s not a permanent thing. It’s not like we’re making money off these groups. It’s about keeping everyone else safe.’’
Auction site TradeMe announced only certain trades would be able to go ahead during Level 4 lockdown.
The site has extended all its casual auctions by four weeks after being told that couriers will only be able to deliver essential items.
‘‘We’re taking these steps because we don’t want to encourage any non-essential travel, faceto-face contact or courier bookings,’’ the auction site said.
Taranaki Civil Defence is asking Good Samaritan groups to leave caring for the vulnerable during the coronavirus lockdown to essential services, close family and neighbours.
Alternate group controller Sue Kelly said people coordinating informal volunteer groups that required physical mobilisation to provide a service to others should stop.
‘‘They’re not recorded as an essential service so therefore they should not be operating at all in this lockdown period.
‘‘They’re not meant to be out there so if they get stopped at any stage ... they’re not an essential service so they shouldn’t out in the community.’’
Kelly said government advice was that people could drop off groceries to vulnerable friends, family members, or neighbours, but should they should remain 2 metres apart and avoid physical contact.
‘‘There are organisations such as Meals on Wheels, which are recorded as an essential service, so they are allowed to go out and if somebody is doing routine shopping for an elderly aunt or parent who’s not able to get out yes then they can, but everybody else should be staying at home.’’
Kelly said she understood that people wanted to help.
‘‘But as we are now in alert level 4, it is so important that everyone stays home, and that people only make physical contact with those that they live with.’’
Kelly said there were ways groups could help.
‘‘I think what we really need is a central location where all these Good Samaritan groups can register their interest and also register what facilities they would like to make available to the community and that way we at the Civil Defence emergency centre can coordinate all of that potential help.’’
This story was originally published on RNZ.co.nz and is republished with permission.