Covid-19 coronavirus Delta outbreak: Dairy owners on highs and lows of lockdown

Local communities across the Bay of Plenty have rallied around hardworking dairies during the alert level 4 and 3 lockdowns.

Four Square Welcome Bay assistant manager Rajwinder Kaur said the store had been "crazy busy" during lockdown.

"We've been crazy busy. People don't want to go to supermarkets for long periods of time so they come here instead."

Kaur said the biggest difference between lockdown and normal life was the special cleaning routine.

"We follow the guidelines about when we sanitise our hands and how we clean the shop.

"We sanitise the eftpos machines every half hour. We are doing everything we can."

Compared with the level 4 lockdown last year Kaur found customers were "more settled" and had different priorities.

For example, this lockdown the store sold more bread and flour than sanitiser and gloves.

"The community have been very supportive of us. Most people, 99.9 per cent, are kind and very respectful."

Kaur said one or two people needed to be reminded to wear masks but on the whole she felt the public handled the lockdown more easily than last year.

"The customers know more and we also know more about how we can prepare for the situation and stay safe."

Still, Kaur said she looked forward to getting back to life as usual: "Back to normal will be good for us, good for the community and good for everyone."

Viking Dairy owner Ani Prabhakar said times were hard before the lockdown but supply issues were impacting business.

"Most days have been quite quiet. Our supplies have been slow to come from Auckland."

Prabhakar said he spent two to three hours cleaning the shop each day because the real danger for business and lives was the Delta strain.

"We sanitise everything."

Viking Dairy in Otūmoetai, Tauranga. Photo / File

Prabhakar was thankful for the support of the community and for the politeness of his customers.

"[There have been] no problems in either lockdown because we live in a residential area. I know all the people around here. They are all my neighbours."

Prabhakar said at the end of the day, Viking Dairy was open to serve the people of Otūmoetai.

In Rotorua, Springfield Superette owner Raj Kumar said while 95 per cent of his customers were following lockdown rules he felt the burden of reminding people to stay safe.

"The Delta variant is not in Rotorua. So some people are too relaxed. That's the downside. People are walking in clusters, they don't want to be told what to do, to wear a mask when they come into the shop."

Kumar said facing non-compliance with Covid-19 lockdown rules was a hard ask for dairies and businesses already facing supply issues and working long hours.

Springfield Superette owner Raj Kumar. Photo / File

"It has been more difficult getting stock this time around. Sourcing stuff has been the big challenge. We've been working 13 to 14 hour days as well.

"We're working continuously. We're exposed but we brace ourselves and we serve."

Kumar said he had sensed some frustration in the community.

"Some people want it to be over. It's like people want their lungs to be protected but they want someone else to wear the mask for them."

Kumar said the most important thing was to be kind.

"You shouldn't have to remind people to scan [using the Covid-19] tracing app when they come into the shop."

Hamurana Store owner Harjinder Kaur (right) and her husband outside their ram raided shop in June. Photo / File

Hamurana Store owner Harjinder Kaur said the local community has been a great support for their family business, which was hit in a ram raid weeks before the lockdown.

"Hamurana has come together like one family. We are very grateful."

Kaur said the walking track in front of the store meant that many families would stop by while out for their lockdown exercise.

"They come in one by one with their masks on. When they come they're very understanding.

"It's not been easy to get what we need but no one has been complaining."