Social agencies are handing out thousands of meals and food parcels to "desperate" families as Omicron wreaks havoc.
Some community groups are paying for the food out of their own pockets to meet the "urgent" demand as calls for help reach unprecedented levels in the region. The increase is due, in part, to families struggling to make ends meet while isolating.
The impact is reflected by the fact nearly a third of more than 1000 Covid-related requests for Ministry of Social Development assistance in the Bay of Plenty in a week came from people who had never sought support before.
Feeding Rotorua Charitable Trust last month delivered over 8000 hot meals and food parcels compared to 6000 at the same time last year.
"It is way too much and a sad reflection of where we are at ... right now there are just too many desperate families," trustee Ian Baker said.
Half of these were Covid-related, while the rest were related to the mandates or housing crisis.
The hardest-hit were families in private rentals who had already been struggling to pay rent and bills before isolating.
From the trust's perspective, most people in isolation seemed to get the help required, he said.
Piripoho Service nurse Leesa King said the number of people asking for support had "never been this high".
"It's pretty dire out there."
At least 669 people had sought help with health and social issues in the year to date - a "huge" increase from the 360 people seen in the previous quarter.
She said food was the biggest priority for those in isolation, and nappies, formula and animal food also featured highly.
Up until four months ago, King was the sole staff member but the service had since taken on three new staff to keep up with demand.
It sometimes provided food to desperate families out of its own resources as it did not have funding for food.
Mokoia Community Association worked alongside Piripoho and saw an "urgent" demand for the basics from families in isolation.
The manager, who did not give her name, said many people were unable to plan ahead and did not realise how much extra food they'd need while isolating
Some households had three generations under one roof, from grandparents to babies.
The service had found money to buy 50 parcels for families, which included food and hygiene products, as there had been delays for other services.
"We're spending money on those basic things which we've never had to do before."
She said families and individuals experienced "huge stress" and mild depression with the uncertainty during isolation.
She believed the pressures were "just the tip of the iceberg" and expected to see the true social impact of Omicron once the outbreak peak had passed.
Elmer Peiffer, of Rotorua Whakaroa, expected "exhausting" demand in the coming months, with many people unable to sustain an income while isolating.
About 120 families came to the free store but he expected this to grow as more people realised the service, which closed temporarily, had reopened.
Only 15 per cent of the need was from isolating families.
"It's really crazy ... there are a lot of families struggling."
The store closed for a month and a half and reopened earlier than initially planned due to the number of people facing difficulties.
Fordlands Community Centre whānau connector Heidi Symon said they were dishing out 350 meals a day.
The centre was one of five community connector providers for Covid Welfare support in the city, funded by MSD. Its role was mainly around providing information but it had some funding for food, she said.
One month ago, Ka Pai Kai gave allocated 350 meals five days a week to give to the community as some of the high schools were affected by Covid.
About 80 per cent of this went to the Fordlands community and the rest was given to other communities.
She said it was a "blessing" for those too sick to cook.
Salvation Army corps officer Hana Seddon said demand for urgent food parcels for people in isolation rose in the recent weeks, with many lacking support from family or friends.
The organisation's workload was "heavier than usual", with staff also working from home.
"We are doing the best we can," she said.
Rotorua Lakes councillor and Whānau Ora chairwoman Merepeka Raukawa-Tait said families, including children, were stressed.
She said isolation was "cramped" and "proving to be a problem" for families as bedrooms were usually shared and there was often only one bathroom.
Rotorua Budget Advisory Services manager Pakanui Tuhura said people were under pressure due to the high cost of living and looked for short-term solutions like foodbanks, emergency housing and KiwiSaver hardship withdrawals.
Tuhura said households where the breadwinners were casual workers and those who worked for businesses that were not eligible or had not applied for the wage subsidy, were hit the hardest.
Ministry of Social Development regional commissioner Mike Bryant said nearly a third of Covid-related requests for help to MSD were from people who had not received any of its support previously.
In the week ending March 13, there were 1161 requests for welfare support in the Bay of Plenty region, and about 30 per cent did not have an MSD relationship.
There were 3480 requests for support since December 3. Most of this was for food.
In February, the Leave Support Scheme supported about 2325 jobs in the region.
The scheme supported employers, including self-employed people, to help pay their employees who have to self-isolate and can't work at home.
Bryant said while most people could look after themselves with help from friends and whānau, others needed a range of support, particularly where their needs were complex.
He said the agency could connect people to the right support, including food or other grants, and connect people to community providers or partner agencies.
The help was not limited to those already receiving a benefit.
The regional team co-ordinated the welfare response through local partnerships to ensure the services were tailored to local needs.
Its Covid-19 Welfare Line was available for anyone who may need extra help.
The Government provided a total of $348.8 million in funding in November and February for the Care in the Community welfare response, which goes to agencies and providers to support those isolating.
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