As most of the country is in lockdown we talk to some of the Northlanders who are working as our essential services - our essential heroes. They are out in our communities making sure we
Covid 19 coronavirus: Driving Miss Daisy Whangārei - a friendly face during lockdown
READ MORE:
• Covid 19 coronavirus: 85 new cases in NZ, rules for leaving the house clarified
• Covid-19 coronavirus in Australia: Country has now passed 3000 cases
• Covid 19 coronavirus: 13 Marist students, teachers positive - pupils from other schools warned
• Covid 19 coronavirus: Young Kiwi woman only had one symptom
Austin has been with Driving Miss Daisy since mid 2016. He said since the Covid-19 pandemic, the role of the service has changed a lot.
Usually the job involved picking people up and transporting them to gyms, the hydrotherapy pool, and activities they would normally go to; but that has ceased.
Now they transport people to medical appointments or the supermarket; or go shopping for people and pick up medications for them.
"Driving Miss Daisy is like family when family can't be there to support their loved ones. We are a trusted, safe, secure, reliable brand," he said.
"We are a friendly service. When the phone rings, you're talking to someone from Whangārei, somebody who's local, somebody who cares."
Austin said the service followed the Government's Covid-19 guidelines and requirements.
"We can safely transport our clients when they want to go from A to B. For example, after each transport the interior of the cars are cleaned so by the time the next client steps into the car, it's completely fresh."
He said for some clients, the drivers are their only contact during this time.
"One of the sad things of society is as people grow older, there are folk whose family are out of town and they're by themselves.
"They may have phone contact with family but for other clients that wouldn't be the case. So we may be the only friendly face that they are going to experience. So those times that we spend with those clients is really quite precious."
• Call 09 430 8091 or 021 503 262 to contact Driving Miss Daisy Whangārei.
• Covid19.govt.nz: The Government's official Covid-19 advisory website