Asked how many jobs were at stake because of Covid-19, Queenstown Chamber of Commerce chief executive Anna Mickell yesterday said simply: "Lots".
Mickell had just emerged from the first meeting of the "business response team" consisting of representatives of the Queenstown and Wanaka chambers of commerce and tourism promotion groups, as well as the Queenstown Lakes District Council.
With "pretty much" no international visitors arriving, forward planning for the ski season was "really difficult", she said.
"So businesses are going to be very cautious about who and how they employ, and in fact, it's probably not even on their minds.