Tauranga Citizens Club manager Joanne Young. Photo / George Novak
Tauranga Citizens Club manager Joanne Young. Photo / George Novak
As the country adjusts to life in level 1, the elderly welcome back Friday night karaoke, families can grieve with all their loved ones, and social butterflies can dance the night away.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern yesterday announced New Zealand would move to alert level 1 - and a returnto mostly normal lives - from midnight last night.
Funerals, hospitality and public transport can all resume without any restrictions. The announcement came just two hours after health officials confirmed the country has no active Covid-19 cases.
The final case, an Auckland woman in her 50s associated with the St Margaret's rest home in Auckland, has now recovered from the virus.
For Tauranga Citizens Club members, the move to level 1 meant welcoming back snooker, indoor bowls, karaoke and live bands.
Club manager Joanna Young said people had been "a little off" and the loosened restrictions will lift the mood and better the atmosphere. She said keeping to 100 people was difficult financially.
Tauranga Citizens Club manager Joanne Young. Photo / George Novak
Club members were mostly aged over 70, the most vulnerable group, and Young said their caution showed in the dwindled participation numbers.
For example, a regular Monday morning snooker group would host more than 60 people, but she said yesterday there were only three.
Young said Friday night karaoke was particularly popular and was something members had missed. But this will start again this week.
She said it was a large club and being able to do the activities which drew members in would help keep them going after having suffered a big financial blow.
The Barrel Room's dance floor had been replaced with tables to ensure the three Ss - seated, single server, and separation - to reduce mixing and mingling with strangers when bars could open in level 3.
Owner Stewart Gebbie said he was excited to make more room for people to get their groove on and musicians were lined up for when they could move to level 1.
But he was cautious about getting too excited.
"I think a lot of people are still too scared to go out ... I'm not sure that will change overnight."
Tivoli Cinema Papamoa co-owner Karen Hawes said more art-house films would be screened and movie screenings would be stretched out for longer than usual as the industry felt the strain of the global pandemic.
Hawes said previously up to three new movies would be released in the cinema, to now just one "if we're lucky".
She said more old flicks would be screened too, and she was surprised at the positive response they had received from the public.
Karen Hawes at Tivoli Cinema in Papamoa. Photo / File
"The old movies are popular, it's amazing ... I don't think people will come to see these movies and then they've really enjoyed them."
Hawes said contact-tracing through the booking system and strict hygiene would still take place, especially with their regular customers being from the older demographic.
Mitchell Court Rest Home manager Ian Geddes-Cook said they would still be practising caution such as visitor sign-ins and not allowing anyone with a cold to visit when the country moves to level 1.
"It's a different ball game in a care facility compared to the general public ... you only have to see what Sweden did, and the number of elderly deaths compared to our country."
He said more than one visitor would be allowed but staff would remain vigilant with any infection-type symptoms and deny entry to keep the residents safe.
Elliotts Funeral Services manager and director Neil Gedge said lifting restrictions around funerals and tangihanga was crucial in allowing people to "grieve properly again".
"A funeral is one of the big parts of the grieving process. It starts the grieving process, it allows people to have their friends and family there to support them, and that is huge."
He expected there will be repercussions for those who were unable to grieve during the other levels of restriction.
The milestone of zero cases was reached 101 days after the country's first virus diagnosis on February 28. Covid- 19 went on to claim 22 lives.
Yesterday also marked 17 days since the last new case was reported in New Zealand. The total number of confirmed cases remained at 1154. The combined total of confirmed and probable cases remained at 1504.
Director general of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield said no active cases for the first time since February was "certainly a significant mark in our journey".
"But as we've previously said, ongoing vigilance against Covid-19 will continue to be essential."
Director general of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield. Photo / File
Department of Public Health senior research fellow Dr Amanda Kvalsvig said if the country continues to find no new cases despite ongoing testing, "that's much more informative and so far the results are encouraging".
The Golden Rules for alert level 1
• If you're sick, stay home. Don't go to work or school. Don't socialise. • If you have cold or flu symptoms call your doctor or Healthline and make sure you get tested. • Wash your hands. Wash your hands. Wash your hands. • Sneeze and cough into your elbow, and regularly disinfect shared surfaces. • If you are told by health authorities to self-isolate you must do so immediately. • If you're concerned about your wellbeing, or have underlying health conditions, work with your GP to understand how best to stay healthy. • Keep track of where you've been and who you've seen to help contact tracing if needed. Use the NZ COVID Tracer app as a handy way of doing this. • Businesses should help people keep track of their movements by displaying the Ministry of Health QR Code for contact tracing. • Stay vigilant. There is still a global pandemic going on. People and businesses should be prepared to act fast to step up alert levels if we have to. • People will have had different experiences over the past couple of months. Be kind to others. Be kind to yourself. - Government's Covid-19 website.
