Coronavirus: Lockdown day one and dairies are open around NZ

Thursday, 26 March 2020

If you aren't close to a supermarket, there are plenty of dairies open as New Zealand embarks on its first day under coronavirus lockdown.

The Government has lifted its Covid-19 alert level to four across New Zealand, and any workers in non-essential industries must stay home.

Kiwis can buy food from supermarkets (both instore and online), dairies (but not cooked meals), and through meals on wheels and 'whole food delivery subscriptions' like My Food Bag. 

A drive through Wellington's western suburbs of Kelburn, Karori and Northland found all but one dairy and superette open on Thursday morning.

**READ MORE:

* Coronavirus lockdown: Here's where you can buy food, and where you can't

* Coronavirus: West Coast shop 'a community service' during lockdown

* Industries finding themselves in essential services 'grey area'

* Coronavirus: Here's what you can do today that you can't tomorrow**

All were displaying signs saying '1 in, 1 out' with varying degrees of prominence.

A small Four Square store, part of the Foodstuffs Group, in Kelburn was allowing three customers in the store at one time, with a worker wearing a face mask stationed outside the entrance ensuring the rule was enforced.

In central Auckland, many dairies and mini-marts were open, though there were not many customers. 

Retail NZ chief executive Greg Harford said the association might have information from a survey in a day or two about how many of its members who were allowed to open their shops had chosen to do so.

Businesses involved in the supply, delivery, distribution and sale of food, beverage and other key consumer goods will stay open under the lockdown.

Butchers, bakeries and similar small-scale food retailers are considered non-essential, but there were reports of some butchers opening on Thursday as retailers adjust to the new rules.

In New Plymouth, about half of dairies and all petrol stations were open on Thursday morning. However, those in lockdown in Westown were unlikely to find milk within walking distance, with both dairies and the food market in the suburb closed.

Mostly dairies and laundromats were open in West Auckland suburbs Te Atatu South, Glen Eden, Swanson and Henderson, with a fruit and vegetable shop open on Swanson Rd.

In some places laundromats were also open. 

On the Spot owner Henry Huang said it was a quiet morning in his Blenheim dairy on the first morning of lock down, with just a handful of customers passing through to buy cigarettes, milk and a pie. 

Huang said he was 'very worried' about being burgled over the next month, and had moved into the back of the shop and was living there as a precaution. 

Originally from China, Huang still had family there, and said his sister had just been let out of her home after two months in lockdown.

He was 'nervous' about Coronavirus having made its way to New Zealand, but not so much in Marlborough due to the still relatively low number of confirmed cases. 

Night 'n Day owner John Gargiulo said business on Thursday morning had been surprisingly 'steady' but not 'flat out' like normal. 

'There's a few around,'  Gargiulo said, with customers mainly being those who were still working, like truck drivers and vineyard workers. 

It had been 'a bit confusing' as to what they were allowed to sell, he said. 

'As of this morning we weren't allowed to sell coffee or pies,' but officials had come saying they could sell coffee and 'wrapped' pies, he said. 

'You've got to go with the flow, I'm not one to get stressed out. 

'You've just got to follow the rules … people are fairly understanding too,' Gargiulo said.