"The Council has been carefully evaluating community safety in our facilities. Although the centres were well within the Government guidelines to remain open, today's announcement of further COVID-19 cases in New Zealand and the increased alert level has prompted us to take this further measure.

"The Council is continuing to fully support the Government's efforts to fight COVID-19. I urge all residents to play their part as well by uniting against the disease and following the protective measures in place listed on the covid19.govt.nz website."

Mayor Brown adds that the closures will not result in any jobs being lost in the immediate future. "Staff who work in these facilities will be redeployed elsewhere to ensure other essential Council services are well supported during this time and to assist with community-led support activities."

"The Council will continue to assess this rapidly evolving situation and will update residents regularly on any other changes or safety measures," Mayor Brown says.​

Information about COVID-19, including steps to reduce transmission, Government announcements and financial support is available at covid19.govt.nz​.