Waiheke police say many locals have had their holidays cut short and are currently returning to the island during the 48-hour period from Wednesday that Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern allowed.
Sergeant Raymond Matthews also says it appears some holiday homeowners travelled to Waiheke on Tuesday before lockdown restrictions came into action. Similar actions in the Coromandel led to locals creating an illegal roadblock on Tuesday night forcing police to intervene in what became quite a heated situation.
Sergeant Matthews says police will actively encourage and educate people on level 4 restrictions before taking enforcement action.
“During the last lockdown, people from the island did try to visit Auckland for non-essential reasons, and we will police some sailings and check people’s movements, but we hope people listen to health advice and stay at home so it’s a short lockdown. We’re all in this together, and the shorter the lockdown, the better. We’ve been here before, and we can do it again.”
People can call 105 to report any Covid-19 level 4 breaches.
Meanwhile, a 22-year-old Onetangi man says he passed out while practising the Wim Hof method of breathing before he crashed his van outside a residential property in Oneroa. The man was driving to the Matiatia ferry terminal at around 5pm on Saturday 14 August, when he decided to work on his breathing, a practice he typically includes in his daily routine.
The Wim Hof method of breathing involves deep, often fast-paced, inhalations through the nose or mouth and unforced exhalations through the mouth. According to the Wim Hof website, people may experience light-headedness and tingling sensations in their fingers and feet when doing the breathing exercises, described by Hof as “controlled hyperventilation or power breathing”. The Wim Hof method is purported to have several health benefits such as “inducing a short stress response which ultimately will lead to more resilience towards everyday stress”.
The driver of the white Mitsubishi van told police he typically practices the breathing technique in the morning, but on Saturday, he decided to fit it in during his drive to the ferry terminal.
When he passed out and veered off Ocean View Road, his van ploughed into a tree startling several residents. Police say the 22-year-old was not intoxicated, and there was no indication he was over the speed limit.
No one was injured and the man is working on getting his van removed from the grass near 150 Ocean View Road. • Sophie Boladeras
