Covid 19 coronavirus: Paparoa Hotel already hit by lockdown restrictions

Paparoa Hotel's Pam Goode takes a brief time out from a mercy dash to Whangārei on Wednesday for supplies after new Covid-19 resurgence restrictions.

The Auckland-based owner of Paparoa Hotel in lower Northland says it's too early to know whether she'll stay on in Northland after the end of the week.

Pam Goode, is at her hotel in Northland to support staff at the lower boutique hotel, in the wake of Auckland's level three lockdown that kicked in on Wednesday.

Goode lives in Mt Eden, Auckland – where Covid-19 level three restrictions are in force, but her Paparoa business is in Northland, where slightly less restrictive Covid-19 level two controls are in place. The Paparoa Hotel is 20 kilometres from Auckland's boundary.

She said Auckland's level three lockdown had already significantly impacted the business.

"A couple from Warkworth staying at our place got up in the middle of the night (Tuesday) after hearing the Prime Minister's announcement and asked if we'd be open today," Goode said.

There had been multiple cancellations. An Aucklander's 60th birthday party planned for the hotel this weekend had already been cancelled, along with accommodation bookings.

About 10 people can stay in the hotel and, in non-Covid-19 times, 50 people can eat in the restaurant, 30 people drink in the pub and there was also campervan parking provided.

She said the business would stay open at level two and at level three Covid-19 restrictions, should they be coming for Northland. The hotel would return to the contactless takeaways they offered during reduced hours during New Zealand's first Covid-19 round.

Goode made an hour-long mercy dash from Paparoa through the winding back roads of Northland on Wednesday afternoon for alcohol and food supplies for her hotel amidst concerns her usual supplies from Auckland would not come under the current restriction levels.

She said was expecting an extension to the current three-day Covid-19 resurgence restrictions now in place.

The consequences of New Zealand's first lockdown had been hard for the business and were already challenging this time round. But the right decision had been made by the Prime Minister on Tuesday night, she said.

"I support the swift transition to level three management in Auckland to manage the effects of the newly-confirmed cases," Goode said.

"It's difficult as a business owner, but as a country we need to act quickly and decisively to do the best for the economy and whanau of New Zealand. I've got family in France and so am very aware of how extreme it's been for them recently."

International tourists were previously a business mainstay.

But Goode shut down the Paparoa Hotel on March 21, four days before the official March 25 start of Covid-19 level four lockdown.

"We didn't know where they were coming from and were concerned for the health and safety of our staff," Goode said.

She said the prospect of what was facing her business now was daunting.

"It's terrifying because we need to continue carrying on. The wage subsidy's ending soon, we've got staff to pay and have overheads to consider, without any income."