T-Rex gets marching orders in lockdown
Police patrolling streets encounter surprise visitor
Awayward red dinosaur brought some life to the otherwise eerily quiet streets of Hawke’s Bay on the first day of the Covid-19 lockdown.
But the brief saunter around Ahuriri in Napier soon met with a request from an apparently unimpressed police officer: “Please go home.”
Ahuriri resident Michelle Danks witnessed an encounter between the T-Rex imposter and a police patrol in Hyderabad Rd about 1pm, and posted an image on social media.
Police media staff in Wellington said they had not been told of the incident, and were not aware of any other such alarming incidents during the day.
Later Facebook user Harry Machiela also posted a video revealing the dinosaur was his 12-year-old son, just going for a walk and having fun “entertaining the truckies”.
“Police just asked if we were [please] on our way home,” he posted.
Police had otherwise started checkpoints across Hawke’s Bay to reinforce the direction to stay home.
Under the alert level 4 restrictions people need to stay at home, unless working for essential services or travelling to the supermarkets or to get essential medical supplies.
Senior Constable Nathan Ross said the purpose of the increased police presence was to make sure people adhered to the guidelines, as well as to educate and reassure the public.
“We’re trying to move around Hawke’s Bay as much as we can to different areas, showing our presence and teaching the rights and wrongs,” he said.
“I’d say 90 per cent of those passing through are essential workers, which is great to see, and then a handful of people who didn’t really understand what the rules were.”
Ross said some people were stopped driving from Hastings to Napier supermarkets because “they just wanted a drive”, while others walking their dogs in the park were sent back to their area.
“We tell them to stay as close as possible to their home,” he added. “If you live in Hastings, you do your shopping at the Hastings supermarket or you walk your dog on your own block.”
Napier Mayor Kirsten Wise said even when people leave home for exercise or a break, there were strict rules to follow.
“If you do need a break and some fresh air, stay in your local neighbourhood,” she said.
“You shouldn’t be meeting up with people outside of your isolation household and ideally if there are a number of you in your household only head out in groups of two or three.
“Go for a walk, get some exercise. But if you do encounter anybody else while you are out and about, make sure you stay two metres apart from them.” Wise added: “We’re all in this together, so please be kind to others. If we all stick to the rules and work together, we will be safe, we will break the chain and we will save lives.”
Hastings Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst agreed, saying people needed to “stay within their isolation bubble”.
“Should you need to go to the doctor, the chemist, the supermarket or for a walk or bike ride — you must go alone or only with the people you live with. We are all in this together so let our region be known for doing our best to slow this virus down.”