Popular Nelson markets cancelled

The Nelson Market and Monty’s Sunday Market in the city have been cancelled this weekend as the number of Covid-19 cases in the community continues to grow.

Nita Knight, managing director of the markets, said that given the number of cases in Nelson, she did not consider it safe to operate the popular Saturday and Sunday markets this weekend.

However, she intended to hold the markets again from next weekend onward, when visitors would need to show a Covid vaccine pass to get in.

As of yesterday, there were 14 cases of Covid-19 in the Nelson outbreak, which has also forced two schools to close.

Knight was disappointed about this weekend’s closures as the markets have been operating again only since Labour Weekend, after being suspended due to Covid-19 alert level restrictions.

However, the safety of the community was the top priority.

‘‘I just think it’s the right thing to do at this point of time, for the stallholders and staff and customers,’’ Knight said.

‘‘I’m very disappointed, and I’m sure stallholders will be, but I hope people will understand that this is a decision for the benefit of the community.

‘‘It’s bigger than just the market – it’s about the whole of Nelson. Better to err on the side of caution.’’

She had cancelled this weekend’s markets so she could ‘‘stop and take stock’’ of what was happening with Covid in the community and consider how the market would operate in the future.

Enforcing social distancing was difficult at a market, she said.

Motueka Sunday Market co-ordinator Judy Roper said it would still go ahead but Covid vaccine passports would be required for both stallholders and the public.

Requiring vaccine passports wasn’t an easy decision but it was the right one, said Roper, adding that the decision was made after ‘‘a lot of deliberating’’, getting advice and looking into the legal requirements.

‘‘My own conscience has told me it’s the right thing to do for the safety of people,’’ she said.