Shops have opened their doors - but many are not as busy as they might have hoped on the first morning of alert level 2. Video / Supplied
Kiwis cautiously crept out of their bubbles for the first day of level 2 yesterday. Many cafe and store owners reported a slightly slower start than expected.
The slow start to brunch was in contrast to the busy beauty sector where nail salons were chocka and busy hairdressers were flat out chopping unruly mops.
Today, gyms like Les Mills hope it's their turn to draw the customers as they too reopen for business.
Most stores, malls, cafes and restaurants were able to reopen yesterday as long as they followed physical distancing and hygiene rules. And for some of them that started the minute lockdown ended at 12.01am.
In Birkenhead, Auckland, more than a dozen customers lined up at BarberShopCo to get a haircut at the stroke of midnight - and the queues were still pumping at 3am.
Corbin Harkness, 17, and his brother Logan, 14, were the first to get a cut at 12.01am.
"Why not get involved and do it?"
Logan Harkness, 14, got a haircut at 12.01am at The Barbershop Co in Birkenhead, Auckland. Photo / Brett Phibbs
Their family had been coming to BarberShopCo since it opened on the street and they wanted to support local, they said.
Carparks were also filling at malls around the country as shoppers headed out.
The Herald was at Westfield Albany just after 9am and found checkout queues at least 50 people long at Kmart.
Thursday was the first day in seven weeks people could sit at a cafe and enjoy their coffee, as seen here in Whanganui. Photo / Bevan Conley
But some retailers reported fewer customers than expected, particularly cafes, which were opening their doors for the first time since the country went into lockdown seven weeks ago.
Those at the till from Takapuna to Balclutha told the Herald the first day of level 2 had been quieter than expected, and some reiterated a nationwide call for Kiwis to support local business.
Level 2 Business
Under level 2 people can dine in as long as businesses follow rules to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
Sierra Cafe owner Anil Chib said it had been "really quiet" at his Ponsonby Rd business.
"We were so happy moving to level 2, but it might be people are a bit scared [to go out]."
He had paid full rent through the level 3 and 4 lockdowns and was feeling "a little bit worried now".
"The community needs to support local business. We are struggling now, it's really hard."
Meanwhile fitness fanatics had to wait a little longer before being let back through the doors of some of the country's most popular gyms.
Level 2 Excercise
Les Mills opens today, and City Fitness opens on Monday.
Fitness centres are expected to be busy, with limited space due to physical distancing, possible queues to get in or booking-only attendance in some venues, along with strict bring-your-own-towel policies.
It was also a quiet day on the Covid-19 front, with no new cases recorded for the third consecutive day.
New Zealand's combined total of confirmed and probable cases remained at 1497, with 1411 people having recovered - 94 per cent overall.
Two people were in hospital, one each in Auckland and Middlemore. Neither were in ICU.
Level 2 Hospitality
The Ministry of Health revised its definition of a "closed cluster", or small outbreak of 10 or more people.
The ministry had previously closed four clusters as they had been through two full transmission periods, the equivalent of 28 days, since their last case was notified.
This had been changed to two full transmission periods since the last person finished their isolation period, meaning even though there had been no new disease activity the clusters were now being classed as open.
Director general of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield said New Zealanders were on track for elimination but, with an ongoing risk of a second wave, he urged people to remain vigilant on physical distancing, hand hygiene and staying home if sick.
"This is a stubborn virus and we don't want to be going down the path where we see spikes again."
