Covid-19 coronavirus Delta outbreak: Aucklanders running out of options after food deliveries cancelled

If your local supermarket is closed, there are other delivery options. Photo / Getty Images

Getting groceries can feel like an impossible mission during lockdown - and some Kiwis are running out of options.

Supermarkets across Auckland have had to close after becoming locations of interest, with many turning to meal subscription boxes like HelloFresh as an alternative.

But after two of its staff members tested positive for Covid-19 this week, countless HelloFresh orders have been cancelled.

HelloFresh founder and chief executive Tom Rutledge warned customers on Monday that the company may be unable to complete deliveries.

"We will be working hard to adapt our operations as quickly as possible to account for this workforce shortage, however in some cases we will be unable to complete deliveries."

One Herald staffer and mum had her grocery order cancelled at two separate stores after they were both named locations of interest, only to then have her HelloFresh order cancelled the following week after the positive cases were revealed.

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Helen Van Berkel, from Auckland, said she was living off pantry items after her HelloFresh order was cancelled.

"I'm now going to have to get creative with whatever's in my pantry, much of it from the last lockdown. Cannellini beans and soda bread for breakfast, lunch and dinner then."

Auckland man Neil Porten told the Herald his Hello Fresh order, due yesterday, had been cancelled. He normally gets four meal kits a week, with his wife going out to work as a frontline health worker.

"At alert level 4, we were expecting to have to think about and prepare more of our own dinners, just not for every night.

"We can still shop at the supermarket, but this week we are choosing to dive into the depths of our freezer to feed ourselves."

Porten is hoping to get his next HelloFresh order, scheduled for delivery next Tuesday. He added that he'd received a refund and $50 credit for the inconvenience.

"I'm happy with that - I appreciate the effect having Covid-19 positive staff must have had on their operation."

But it's those in self-isolation after having been in contact with Covid cases that are hardest hit when online grocery orders get cancelled. It's also particularly difficult for elderly people or those with compromised immunity who don't feel safe leaving their homes.

So, if you find yourself stuck at home with delayed or cancelled grocery deliveries, what can you do?

If you're in self-isolation, you can try priority ordering through supermarkets, or try alternative grocery delivery services - here's a list of some you may not have thought of.

And if you're able to go to the supermarket, it's important to check in with those who can't.

Whether it's a phone call to check in on the neighbours or offering to pick up groceries for your grandparents, there will be those in your community who will welcome a - contactless - helping hand.