On the flip side, however, is the progress New Zealand is making generally compared with other countries. New Zealand is in the bottom 20 per cent globally in numbers of Covid-attributed deaths and casualty rates per 1 million of population.
Bayliss said: "We are incredibly lucky."
He does, however, have some trade, hosting essential-worker truck drivers staying midweek – enabling arrival without person-contact, delivery of meals to rooms, and a gift beer in place of the usual quick-one at the bar after a hard day's work.
The trade could now also be facing the possibility of losing a busy Ranfurly Shield defence weekend, if the Covid lockdown is extended when the Government makes its next announcement.
With all sports and other public gatherings cancelled this weekend, Hawke's Bay Rugby chief executive Jay Campbell says holding the shield is a "cash-cow" for both the union and the community, but he now has to balance "keeping everyone positive" with the potentials of the following weekend.
With the Shield defence against Waikato scheduled for McLean Park on August 28, the potential scenarios are match on as usual, a game with no crowd, or no game at all.
Soon after the Covid-19 update this afternoon, he said the NZRU was staging a video meeting with provincial and other game leaders early-evening, but, with the level 4 lockdown extended to a full seven days pending the Tuesday review he says no decisions can be made as to what happens.
The campaign, of six defences since the Shield was won from Otago in Dunedin last October, has survived without Covid-19 disruption until this week, but the Hawke's Bay union has already had the experience of big-games limitations, with an NPC match at McLean Park last September having been played with almost no audience, under level 2 conditions.
Campbell said clearly the public want to be at the game, and the players want to be in front of a crowd. "But it is what it is," he said. "I don't think anyone knows."
Among the cancellations of sport and other public gatherings over the weekend and until at least Wednesday, is the attempt to revive Hawke's Bay Unicorns rugby league games, which were to have been the first in four years while, longer term, the Maraenui Rugby and Sports Association is in doubt about its 40th reunion from September 10-12, and may make a decision on Tuesday as to possible postponement, highlighting precautions needing to be taken by event planners.
Meanwhile, Hawke's Bay leaders have reassured the public the councils, the District Health Board, and Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated chairs are doing "everything we can to work together and unite against Covid-19".
The assurance came in a late-afternoon joint statement.
"Our top priority is the health, safety, and welfare of everyone in our communities," they said.
"We've successfully stamped out the virus before and we will do it again. However, this time we're dealing with the highly transmissible Delta variant of the virus.
"The Delta variant poses a greater threat to the health of people who contract it and a greater challenge to contain the spread of the virus in an outbreak."
They stressed the need for everyone to "follow the golden rules of Alert Level 4" to keep everyone safe, most importantly by sticking within the family or community "bubbles".
"Our regional partners and agencies are working together to plan and co-ordinate the fight against community transmission," they said. "Systems are in-place to identify and connect our vulnerable with essential support services."
Wairoa Mayor Craig Little, Napier's Kirsten Wise, Hastings Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst and CHB's Alex Walker are meeting daily via Zoom with regional council chairman Rick Barker, the DHB's Walker and Ngati Kahungunu leader Ngahiwi Tomoana.
"We know what's happening across our region and we're determined to keep the effects of Covid-19 to a minimum, for all our people," they said.
