Awanui Hotel co-owner Brad Jackson says the financial impact of the lockdown was huge but he's "amped" to be reopening tomorrow, especially with a brand-new garden bar ready to welcome guests. Photo / Peter de Graaf
Awanui Hotel co-owner Brad Jackson says the financial impact of the lockdown was huge but he's "amped" to be reopening tomorrow, especially with a brand-new garden bar ready to welcome guests. Photo / Peter de Graaf
Excitement and relief rule the top of the Far North as shops, hairdressers and hospitality get ready to reopen tomorrow after a nine-day snap lockdown, a Kaitaia business leader says.
From 11.59pm tonight, upper Northland — which includes all areas north of Hokianga Harbour, Mangamuka Junction and Kāeo Bridge —will drop back to level 2, allowing hospitality and contact businesses to welcome customers back.
The end of level 3 restrictions will also restore free movement throughout Northland.
Kaitaia Business Association chairwoman Andrea Panther said there was a sense of excitement as businesses geared up for reopening, and relief that it came just in time to save them missing out on pre-Christmas spending.
''It's very exciting. People can start to climb back out of their holes again, financially and emotionally.''
Panther said the pain of lockdown was not shared equally. Some businesses have been able to continue as essential services or by offering click-and-collect, and some home improvement stores were doing well as people stuck at home immersed themselves in DIY projects.
However, lockdown had been tough on hospitality and businesses such as hairdressers, beauticians and chiropractors, where contact was involved.
There were also some in the Far North who didn't want restrictions to be eased, fearing Te Hiku's health resources could be overwhelmed by Covid.
A silver lining of the Far North cases was that they had led to a surge in vaccinations, she said.
Awanui Hotel co-owner Brad Jackson in the AB Bar. Photo / Peter de Graaf
Hospitality businesses such as the Awanui Hotel, which reopened a year ago after a major revamp, have been hard hit.
Co-owner Brad Jackson said the financial impact was ''massive''.
The hotel was due to have celebrated the first anniversary of its reopening on Saturday.
As well as losing its regular business and corporate events, the company which made Kaitaia's student lunches wasn't hiring the hotel's commercial kitchen while schools were closed.
Auckland's lockdown also had an impact because Barrier Air pilots weren't staying at the motel while flights from the city were suspended.
However, hotel staff were ''amping'' to reopen and looking forward to a summer of events and live music in a new garden bar area.
Work to further improve the hotel had continued to forge ahead during the lockdown.
The closure had a ripple effect on the community, with school fundraisers cancelled and locals unable to socialise.
''People need a chance to get out, celebrate the end of the week, and communicate with other people for the sense of being human. If you can't do that, tension builds up.''
Far North Mayor John Carter. Photo / Tania Whyte
Far North Mayor John Carter said he was relieved the lockdown was almost over.
''People are suffering from Covid fatigue so there's a great sense of relief. There are still concerns about people not being vaccinated, wearing masks or keeping safe distances, but we are really looking forward to the extra freedom of the change from level 3 to level 2.''
The lockdown had been ''very, very tough'' on businesses, despite the relatively short duration.
''It's tough right across Northland because of the Auckland situation but up here in the far Far North, it's just added an extra challenge,'' he said.
Upper Northland was plunged back into level 3 at 11.59pm last week Tuesday amid concerns about two cases of Covid-19 at Kaingaroa with no known link to existing clusters.
Since then the number of cases in the North has continued to inch upwards — as of yesterday the total was 29 — but wastewater testing suggests large-scale undetected transmission has been avoided.
Not everyone, however, is excited to be reopening.
Māori health leader Dr Rawiri Jansen said he was uncomfortable with the return to alert level 2.
Jansen told Breakfast it would lead to increased cases, and Māori communities were already bearing the brunt of the current outbreak.
Low vaccination rates among Māori were also a worry.
Jansen said some communities were also concerned about an influx of Aucklanders during the Christmas holidays.
''I think rural, provincial New Zealand will be deeply worried about this idea that the Auckland diaspora just get to have their summer holidays out there,'' he said.
Confusion around the level 3 border dogged the upper Northland lockdown, with the Health Ministry map placing the border through Kāeo township but police and Taitokerau Border Control (TBC) setting up their checkpoint a few kilometres further north at Kāeo Bridge.
The checkpoint location effectively left Kāeo in level 2 but people living just north of the bridge in places like Pupuke were cut off from fuel and groceries.
That was solved when TBC started issuing passes so that locals north of the bridge could get into town for essential supplies.
Covid delivers double whammy
The latest Covid outbreak delivered a double whammy to the Awanui Hotel, which not only had to close during level 3 but was also named as a location of interest after a Covid case attended a gathering before testing positive.
Co-owner Brad Jackson said he heard about the case by word of mouth at about 11am on a Monday after a Sunday gathering.
The hotel had been due to host a Melbourne Cup event that afternoon with 100 paid-up guests so it was cancelled immediately, before the official announcement.
By that time most of the preparation had been done, including shucking 80 dozen oysters.
It was another financial blow but the right thing to do, Jackson said.
''It's not about the money, it's about safety for the community. It showed Covid is close to home and knocking at our door.''
