Coronavirus: Panic-buying means homeless mum can't feed children or send them to school

A South Auckland woman has opened up about the hardship the coronavirus pandemic has had on her family, revealing she is homeless and struggles to feed her own children due to panic-buying.

Anna, who is a trained councillor, has been living in a one-bedroom motel room with her three children, one cat and two dogs after falling homeless.

Following the Covid-19 outbreak, Anna revealed she has had to give up work to look after her daughter who she cannot send to school because she is a severe asthmatic.

"I'm in a situation where It's a little bit harder and complicated. Myself, my two kids, one cat and two dogs are homeless. We live in a hotel at the moment. we aren't allowed any visitors at the moment," Anna told Newstalk ZB.

"The only support I get is from my elderly family members or family members who are working.

Supermarket shelves are being stripped bare due to panic-buying. Photo / Supplied

"I've had to take time off work because i'm homeless and trying to look after my kids. My daughter is a severe asthmatic and so I can't let her go to school and I can't let my son go to school because he might catch it [coronavirus] and give it to her."

Not only is Anna struggling to get by, but panic-buying has meant there is hardly any food left on the shelves to buy for her children, something which breaks her heart.

"In south Auckland we go to the closest place, which is the dairy. There is no milk, no bread, there is no essentials that you would normally get when you need them."

I cannot do online shopping for any of our women currently because all the slots are full for the foreseeable future. I do not understand. I do not want to understand.
People aren't going to be able to eat bc of panic buying.
How are they supposed to eat?

— The Aunties (@aunties_the) March 22, 2020

Because Anna isn't allowed visitors at the motel, she has been visiting family members' homes where she and her family will have a meal while her animals are looked after for the day.

Following Anna's call, a number of people have offered to help, including one offering to drop off food, while a cattery has reached out saying they can assist with the care of the family's cat.

NZ_Cases1a

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has urged people with compromised immune systems to stay at home.

She had a stern message for New Zealanders who are not taking the threat of Covid-19 seriously, saying they should think about their friends and family and consider that their blithe approach could imperil people's lives.

In her first ever address to the nation, she also introduced a four-tier alert system based on the spread of the virus. New Zealand is currently at alert level two.

Alert level two means the disease is contained but the risks are growing, and contact with other people should be reduced through cancelled events, increased border measures, and people working from home.

Neighbours, family and friends should be willing to bring supplies to the homes of those with compromised immune systems, and if they needed to leave home, they should practice physical distancing.

New Zealand now has 66 confirmed cases of Covid-19, including the two cases which have no link to overseas travel.