Northland is home to 180,000 people and while it’s not joining Auckland’s Level 3 restrictions, travel and business is still affected.
Northlanders have found themselves locked in by Auckland's borders. With no way to go through it or around it, the peninsula at the top of the North Island is essentially cut off from the rest of the country.
At Te Hana, the gateway to the north has shut its gates.
While the border is closed, restaurateur Llyod Rooney remains open for businesses - he's already feeling the effects of being cut off.
“I don't think I realised how important the Auckland market is to the wider economy - them coming up and into Northland and spending money. it's been a lot worse than I thought it was going to be,” Mr Rooney told Seven Sharp.
The region now hoping its isolation period lasts no longer than 14 days.
Kaipara Mayor Jason Smith says the border blockage is “quite serious” when it comes to the flow of people and goods into and out of the Northland region.
“We’ve basically ended up with a new island in New Zealand that no one was expecting and that is the island of Northland.”
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