Tauranga businesses fear what will happen if their staff are off sick with Omicron or have to isolate, with one saying it may need to "shut the doors".
It comes as 744 new Covid-19 cases were reported nationally in the community yesterday, eight in the Bay of Plenty District Health Board region.
On Monday, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the country would move to phase 2 of the Omicron response plan from 11.59pm yesterday and it would be a phase of "greater self-management".
The move to phase 2 means self-isolation for cases reduces from 14 days to 10, and for contacts from 10 days to seven. The period of self-isolation also applies to household members.
Critical employees can get out of their isolation requirements if they produce a negative rapid antigen test (RAT).
Businesses signing up to an essential workforce scheme will be eligible for free rapid antigen tests.
Mount Maunganui Cosy Corner Holiday Park's manager Greg Davidson said he had trained some of his cleaning staff to run the park in case he and his partner had to isolate.
"Other than that it means we have to shut the doors because there won't be another option.
"There's only Vicki and myself that run the camp so that's made it a bit tricky for us. If one of us have to isolate we probably both will have to, which could mean closing the camp.
"Hopefully it doesn't come to that."
Another challenge was the camp's office was run out of Davidson's house. He was setting up a separate unit on-site so someone could operate the office from it, he said.
Davidson said he had already ordered RAT tests for him and his staff "just so we'll have them on hand if we need them".
The Med Cafe owner Jo Brown said they were not classed as "critical workers" but she would inquire about RAT tests.
"If one [staff member] goes down it's going to be horrendous because I don't have the back-up staff because I'm not busy enough so it is tricky.
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Mount Maunganui's Zealandier Tours co-founder and director Jan Davies said she had enough employees to cover if anyone fell sick or had to self-isolate.
"You've got to have a rotation of people to do that and I'm just fortunate that I have got employees that are retired really and they're just there for me to help me get through this time."
Miss Gee's bar owner Ashleigh Gee said they were already short-staffed and losing staff to sickness would put "a huge strain on us and the way we operate".
"I'm kind of scared about it to be honest."
Gee said she would apply for the Close Contact Exemption Scheme.
She had already bought 25 RAT tests for staff so they could get tested if they became a close contact.
Waimarino Adventure Park owner Blair Anderson said they were "fortunate" to be outdoors and had limited people working in offices.
"It will affect us when we have staff not here however we will make do when the time is needed."
New Zealand Kiwifruit Growers Inc chief executive Colin Bond said the ability to use RATs and the reduction of the isolation periods for contacts should make more labour available to participate in this year's harvest.
"NZKGI is aware of some employers who are procuring RATs for their own employees, while others will be relying on using government stock."
Bond said the peak demand for labour for the kiwifruit harvest would be in March and April when there could be "significant absenteeism" because of high numbers of Covid-related infections.
NZKGI was encouraging all employers within the industry to apply to be part of the Close Contact Exemption Scheme as food producers.
Western Bay of Plenty Principals Association president Suzanne Billington said they had not yet heard from the Ministry of Education about how the move to phase two would affect schools.
Chief executive of kaupapa Māori health service Te Manu Toroa Pat Cook said RAT tests would ensure they were in a better position to handle any staff cases and could continue delivering clinical services with minimal disruption, which would benefit the community.
"Without RAT tests, having a positive case among staff would mean potentially shutting our clinic and having lots of doctors, nurses and support staff – who may not necessarily be sick – isolating at home."
Cook said households needed to have a plan in place to ensure they were prepared for the possibility of a positive Covid case.
Tauranga Chamber of Commerce chief executive Matt Cowley said several pharmacies had contacted the chambers to advertise RATs for businesses.
Businesses would need to supply their business number and could order a minimum of 50 tests ranging between $11 and $17 each.
He said businesses had been encouraging the Government to move to phase 2 or 3 faster because it gave realistic expectations for those infected to isolate.
"If it wasn't realistic with a very long timeframe, people might not be signing in or be willing to follow the rules."
Cowley said it would always be difficult for businesses to work around Covid, but moving through the different phases allowed workplaces in certain sectors to still find a way to operate.
"It's more flexible to businesses that are essential to the supply chain but vulnerable to staff capacity."
Hospitality New Zealand Bay of Plenty regional manager Melissa Renwick said it had been working with Government officials on the impact of Omicron on the hospitality sector.
Renwick said the organisation had been calling for more clarity on the definition of a close contact and the reduction of isolation times to be brought in line with World Health Organisation recommendations.
She said, anecdotally, most members would use the RAT as it provided a sense of reassurance of keeping safe.
"RATs should be made available to all. Currently they are not and local businesses cannot access them easily."
