School children are getting their Covid-19 jabs from today while the Omicron variant continues to hover on New Zealand's doorstep. Video / NZ Herald
The relaxation of mask use and welcoming back unvaccinated customers will be celebrated by some Tauranga businesses if a move to the green traffic light setting is announced this week.
One restaurant owner says he is looking forward to his staff not having to wear masks on these "hotsummer days", whereas a hairdresser said it would be good to have loyal customers back after turning them away due to not being vaccinated.
Bay of Plenty residents will find out this week if they will move to green after Cabinet reviews the current settings. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says the traffic light settings will be reviewed this week.
All of New Zealand is in the orange traffic light setting apart from Northland which is in red.
In green, face coverings are further relaxed and are only mandatory on flights and in some settings where vaccine passes are not used.
It also means no limits for hospitality and close contact businesses if vaccine passes are used.
Businesses who choose not to use vaccine passes are allowed up to 100 people and one-metre distancing for hospitality, some gatherings, events, gyms. Masks must be used in close contact businesses.
Green means there is limited community transmission and hospitalisations are manageable. Determinants of traffic light settings include vaccination, the state of the health system, testing, contact tracing and case management capacity, as well as the rate and effect of virus transmission.
Blow Hair Co co-owner Aarron Fenwick said a move to green would "change quite a bit".
"We would really love not to be wearing masks in this heat ... and the unvaccinated would obviously be able to re-enter again.
"It's been an interesting time because you're having to turn away people you've known for 15, 20 years ... but it would be good to be able to welcome those people back in.
"It would actually feel like I could get back to cutting hair and not worry about all the other dramas."
Little Long cafe manager Rubal Sarao. Photo / Talia Parker
Little Long cafe manager Rubal Sarao said a move to green would be "really beneficial" for the business and would "make town busier".
"I really want to move into green just because ... we are so quiet nowadays."
The cafe had been closing at either noon or 1pm for the past few days but it usually closed at 3pm, she said.
Sarao said it could be quiet in town because people with vaccine passes "might be scared to go out" because of Covid, whereas unvaccinated customers could only get takeaway.
"Some people just want to sit there and enjoy their coffee but they can't."
A sign outside had the cafe's contact number so people could call and order, but Sarao said "just a few" customers had called.
Curiosity store and tattoo shop in Tauranga CBD. Photo / Talia Parker
Curiosity store and tattoo studio staff member Ata Bennett said "a plus" of moving to green was having more customers in because they had lost clients due to the vaccination requirement and it had been "pretty quiet".
Macau Restaurant and Lounge co-owner Craig Cameron said one of the biggest things it would change was wearing masks.
"I know it's to stop the transmission, but it is difficult for a lot of staff. We strictly do it, but [on] these hot summer days, it is annoying."
Macau Restaurant and Lounge was now operating a five-day week instead of seven due to the impacts of the vaccine requirement. Photo / Talia Parker
Cameron said the restaurant had been exposed to a positive Covid customer in December and had to close on a weekend "which cost us tens of thousands of dollars" of potential income.
The vaccination requirement had also affected the business because they had lost several staff members and could now operate only five days a week.
"There [is] no staff around ... so we're running a five-day week when we should be running seven this time of year.
"Our chefs at the moment are doing 60-plus hours a week just to stay open five days.
"The demand for people is there - we are unable, because of our staffing levels, to be able to service it."
