A game plan is needed for how to co-exist with this the coronavirus if it is to continue to resurface in the community, say a group of Auckland businesses.
Many small and medium enterprises who responded to a survey by the Auckland Business Chamber, said they wouldn’t be able to survive another lockdown and that we need a new strategy.
“Long term handouts are not the solution to their sustainability. To build confidence, they need certainty,” Chamber CEO Michael Barnett says.
The survey revealed 18 per cent of businesses indicated they could not survive a further lockdown, 28 per cent said they could manage just one more and 24 per cent indicated two more.
“Shutdowns and blanket bans on certain sorts of enterprise are not the answer. Business must be allowed to operate and manage their own bubbles with a safe operating plan.
“It’s government’s job to manage the borders and keep us safe by containing and stamping out any re-emergence rather than stamping out people’s livelihoods and community wellbeing,” Mr Barnett says.
In Takapuna, on Auckland’s North Shore, the retail and hospitality sector is feeling the burn of Covid and are calling for a drop to "Level 1.5" rather than to Level 2.
Level 2 can still be crippling for restaurants, cafes, bars and retailers, says Takapuna Beach Business Association (TBBA) chief executive, Terence Harpur.
“Capping numbers on our big hospitality operators and seating all patrons, while taking away tables and chairs in restaurants and cafes, could be the straw that breaks the camel’s back,” Mr Harpur says.
“We’re calling for a much more workable and practical ‘Level 1.5’ for Auckland. It would be a lifesaver for many local businesses."
He says businesses are all sporting QR codes for contact tracing and the community is now well versed in regular sanitising and wearing masks.
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