Covid-19 coronavirus: Te Puke making plans but hoping they're not needed

The Daily Cafe would be used for the preparation of community meals if the country went into lockdown again.

Health and social service providers in Te Puke are preparing for the possibility of more stringent Covid-19 related restrictions, while hoping those preparations will prove unnecessary.

Following Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's alert level 2 announcement last Tuesday, preparations began in anticipation of the possibility of the country being plunged back into level 3 or even 4 restrictions.

EmpowermentNZ provides breakfasts, regular community meals and operates a food bank, as well as providing a range of community services, and general manager Scott Nicholson says there have been changes to the way the hub is run.

''We've adjusted the way we operate to keep in line with the recommendations of level 2 and we are currently preparing for the possibility of level 3. We've done a stock take and we are ordering whatever PPE we think we will need so we've got that and preparing for if we have to shut down the breakfast and the community dinner.

''While we are preparing, we hope it doesn't happen.''

Scott says there has been a noticeable upsurge in people asking for assistance since last week's announcement.

''I think it's been a catalyst for them to get that support now as opposed to waiting.''

While the community response team that operated during the previous lockdown has not been re-activated, members have reconnected and an invitation issued to anyone who might want to be part of the team should it be needed again.

Te Puke Community Board chairman Richard Crawford, who chaired the response team's Zoom meetings, says there are currently no plans to reinstate weekly meetings for the group.

''At the moment we've responded by just reconnecting and that's about the level it is at the moment.''

Richard says this evening's community board meeting will go ahead with measures in place to meet alert level 2 requirements.

Maketū Hauora CEO Shontell Paewini says the hauora is continuing with its normal level of support, but things would change, including the probability of the township's checkpoints being reinstated if the country went to alert level 3.

''If we move to level 3 we will implement a higher level of support,'' she says.

''[Checkpoints] will again be part of our health response to Covid to ensure it stays out of the community. If we move [up] alert levels, then that means the virus can't be contained, so we will be making a stand and putting those back up.''

Shontell says past experience will be important.

''We are a lot more prepared, we know what to expect, we know what to be looking for and where to get the resources for families - it should be a lot easier if we go up to another level, but we are praying we don't.''

Out of the Daily Cafe, the Search Party Charitable Trust produced hundreds of community meals during the last lockdown. The meals were distributed through a number of organisations including Ngā Kākano Foundation.

Trust general manager Clint Reha says that would be a focus if the country went back to alert level 3.

''We still have community meals available now but that would ramp up if we went to level 3 again.''