Lloyd Rooney, co-owner of The Quay restaurant at the Whangārei Town Basin getting set to re-open in level 2. Photo / Michael Cunningham
Lloyd Rooney, co-owner of The Quay restaurant at the Whangārei Town Basin getting set to re-open in level 2. Photo / Michael Cunningham
Northland's business and hospitality sectors are relieved to be throwing their doors back open to customers under alert level 2.
But industry leaders will be stepping forward more cautiously from now on after a snap lockdown on October 8 caught everybody off guard.
The 10-day lockdown was triggered by aCovid-positive woman who allegedly crossed the border under false pretences and road-tripped through Northland with a female companion, who later tested positive.
However, the Government delivered the good news yesterday that Northland would return to alert level 2 at 11.59pm on Tuesday.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said there was no evidence to suggest Covid had spread beyond the two travellers from Auckland who visited the region under false pretences between October 2 to 6.
"Businesses tread water through the off-shoulder periods and then make money in the holiday times but we weren't able to because lockdown was during school holidays so it was even tougher."
He and Michael Fraser run three outlets in Whangārei's Town Basin, one each at Waipū Cove and Mangawhai plus two at Mount Maunganui.
Chefs were already in place at The Quay preparing for service at 9am on Wednesday, alongside his restaurants' managers who were sprucing the joints up ready to welcome back patrons.
"[Staff] were really, really ecstatic – honestly happy – when they heard the news. We're all just relieved to be getting back to some type of normality."
Rooney encouraged Northlanders to take optimistic steps forward but also cautious ones. "It's really exciting that we can get back to things but we also now know that we could go into level 3 or 4 at any time," he said.
"Hopefully we can continue to get Northland's vaccination rates so any outbreaks in the future can be dealt with without the need for lockdowns."
NorthChamber chief executive Steve Smith says continued challenges and limitations mean the alert level 2 isn't quite a "champagne moment". Photo / Tania Whyte
NorthChamber chief executive Steve Smith likened yesterday's announcement to a "knock the top off a beer" rather than "champagne moment".
"A lot of people were concerned we'd remain in some sort of level 3, so level 2 is a big relief ... but there remain a huge number of challenges and limitations to how businesses can operate."
Events continued to be hamstrung by level 2 restrictions that varied depending on the facility, and Northland businesses needed the boost of visitor spending minus the Covid, he said.
Kaitaia Business Association chairwoman Andrea Panther agreed that supply chain and customer-base issues, lingering as long as Auckland remained in lockdown, would mean businesses "crawled back" rather than bounced.
"Everyone is affected ... and there are huge flow-on effects such as people's spending being reduced as they worry about potentially having less income," she said.
"It's not going to be perfect until we get to level 1, but thank goodness others can get back into operating before Christmas."
Northland's encounter with Covid showed what major consequences could unfurl from a slip at the border, Panther said.
"We're not out of the woods yet ..."
Whangārei Mayor Sheryl Mai says a positive outcome from Northland's Covid case was a boost in vaccination rates. Photo / Tania Whyte
A stark reminder was jointly echoed by Whangārei Mayor Sheryl Mai and Kaipara Mayor Jason Smith.
Mai said Northland's latest brush with Covid did have a positive impact on vaccination uptake in the region.
"And long may it continue," she said.
"We definitely need to keep it going. We want to get more and more people fully vaccinated ... what we don't want is for the community to become complacent."
Mai encouraged anybody with symptoms or who "just happens to be passing a testing centre" to take the time to get a Covid swab.
Especially given a household in Wellsford was discovered to have confirmed cases over the weekend after two positive detections in the town's wastewater.
"That is too close for comfort. If there has been any transmission across the border, we're at risk ... that's why we need to keep getting vaccinated," Mai said.
Kaipara Mayor Dr Jason Smith says as Auckland's growing Covid cases puts pressure on Northland, vaccination is more important than ever. Photo / Michael Cunningham
Smith was pleased 18 months of advocating for a testing site to debut in Kaiwaka, the first "border town" less than 20km north of Wellsford, had paid off.
"Northland hasn't got any cases of Covid in our wastewater system and almost every part of Auckland does ... so there's a growing pressure from Auckland with their increasing case numbers," he said.
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"Time is running out for the people still considering whether to get vaccinated or not."
Smith said while the return to level 2 was a pleasing one, it didn't diminish the responsibility eligible Northlanders had to get vaccinated to protect those in their communities who were unable to whether for health reasons or because of their age.
