Footpath stencils: keep left and stay safe in city
Stencils popping up on Nelson’s footpaths are a reminder for people to keep their distance under alert level 2.
The Nelson City Council and Nelson Marlborough Health teamed up for the ‘‘walk the chalk’’ social distancing project, which is meant to encourage pedestrians to keep left and maintain social distancing of 2 metres between themselves and people outside their expanded bubble.
Councillor Pete Rainey, chair of the council’s city centre working group, said the 3-metre wide footpaths would help people maintain a safe distance when walking past each other.
‘‘Simple things like keeping left on the footpath, and where that’s not possible, waiting for the space on the righthand side to clear before proceeding, are easy, common-sense steps we can all take to help each other as we all find our way again after the Covid-19 shutdown.’’ Proposed changes to the footpath layout to increase dedicated pedestrian space were ‘‘put on hold’’ at the last minute earlier this month, and the council confirmed this work would not proceed.
The ‘‘walk the chalk’’ stencils will be found on footpaths on Trafalgar, Bridge and Hardy streets, which the council said are the highest foot-traffic areas in the city.
The council is also asking retailers to be ‘‘mindful’’ of the placing of their sandwich board or advertising placements, so as not to disrupt pedestrians.
Chief medical officer for Nelson Marlborough Health Dr Nick Baker said despite the lower alert level, it was still important that people maintained a safe distance from those outside their expanded bubble, as it was not possible to contact-trace casual encounters on the footpath.
‘‘Businesses, restaurants and schools are going to great effort to give people the space they need to stay out of each other’s ‘moist breath zone’, so we need to play our part when out shopping and exercising, and enjoying our parks and playgrounds again,’’ he said.
‘‘The Covid-19 virus is spread on droplets from coughs, sneezes and moist breath. So are influenza and cold viruses. This winter we will worry every illness could be Covid so it is even more important to avoid catching any virus. Play it safe . . .’’