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Rotorua needs to move to level 2 quickly if it wants to stem "the economic bleeding" a business head says.
Today the Government will decide if parts of New Zealand currently at level 3 will stay put or move. The announcement will be made at 4pm today after the alertlevel settings have been reviewed by Cabinet. Rotorua businesses that could not operate under level 3 were "excited" and "ready" for an alert level change.
House of Elliott Hairdressing owner Craig Elliott said the business was "paralysed" until level 2.
"We've got all our safe practices [and] PPE ready," he said.
Elliott said he would need to reschedule about 300 to 400 appointments upon the move to level 2, but was "pretty excited" to go back.
Ahu Boutique founder and owner Adrienne Whitewood. Photo / supplied
Redwoods Treewalk co-founder Bruce Thomasen said he was hoping for "a safe response".
"The key for the industry is the domestic market remains confident to travel and the key for us now is the October school holidays," he said.
"If remaining cautious for another week of level 3 means we're more confident or in a better place to ensure we're level 2 or better for the October school holidays, to me that's the better outcome than rather jumping steps too soon.
Ahu Boutique founder and owner Adrienne Whitewood said business had been going "pretty well" online but she hoped to go to a lower level so people could go into the store.
"I guess we've just been lucky that we're pretty much half online half in-store.
"It will still take a bit of time, usually it takes a couple of weeks, and then we pick back up again in store," she said.
Scope cafe owner Dana Greer previously told the Rotorua Daily Post the cafe did not open in level 3 last week due to "so much uncertainty". However if a decision was made on Monday to stay in level 3, the cafe would trial an opening with a smaller menu, Greer said.
Greer was hopeful for a move to level 2 "if that's the best for everyone".
However, she said it would take "a couple of days" before the cafe could sell anything.
"If you're a retail business then your stock is there ... but if you are a production business like we are, we have nothing left in the cafe at the moment, so we need to start from scratch with everything," she said.
Greer sanitised the cafe last week so it was "ready" for opening, apart from having stock.
"Two days and we should be able by the third day to open."
The cafe would perhaps sell coffees in the first two days until they could fully open, she said.
Scope cafe owner Dana Greer. Photo / supplied
Rotorua Chamber of Commerce chief executive Bryce Heard said the difference between alert levels 2 and 3 was "really significant" for business.
"Level 2 is where we need to get to quickly if we are to begin stemming the economic bleeding," he said.
"I think everyone is realising that we cannot live with repeated lockdowns and be economically viable as a nation."
Heard said the "longer-term scenario" would see vaccinations and public behaviour as the "two main elements" of New Zealand returning to "something resembling" pre-Covid-19.
"It may never be quite the same as before, but we are a resilient people in New Zealand and we will get there."
