Port keeps imports moving

Vehicles will keep coming into the country and being cleared from ports despite the country going into a snap lockdown.

The government moved Auckland and Coromandel to alert level four for seven days from midnight on August 17, while the rest of the country will have the same tough measures in force for at least three days.

Ports of Auckland (POAL) says it has reimplemented its level four controls, which were first used during last year’s lockdowns, and made its mask-wearing protocols tougher to help combat the latest health threat.

Matt Ball, spokesman, says: “We have got clear guidance from the government that freight must get through and keep moving.

“Ship changeover times at the container terminal are a bit slower because of the extra controls but otherwise it is operations as usual.

“The port has reinstated the separation of people into work bubbles and making sure they maintain social distancing at the port. We’re also conducting temperature health checks on staff each day as they come into work.”

Ball adds POAL has upgraded the masks staff are required to wear from surgical ones to N95 masks because New Zealand is now dealing with the more contagious delta variant of Covid. People coming on to the port are also asked to wear masks.

He says the transition to level four was easier than when it happened in March 2020 because facilities used in that lockdown have remained in place.

“We kept separate working areas and portacabins for different teams set up after the previous periods at the higher alert levels and mothballed them in case we had another lockdown.

“A lot of what we had previously was on hand and we were much better prepared for this lockdown than when we moved to level four the first time.

“Sadly, we have been here before. We know what to do and we’re doing it but let’s hope we can get back to the previous normal soon.”