August 19, 2020
localmatters.co.nz
Your locally-owned FREE Community Newspaper
Inside this issue Referendums
4 8
Yes NO pages 9 to 11
What next for Orewa House?
The announcement of a further Covid-19 Level 3 lockdown last week caused a lot of anxiety, with people immediately forming queues at supermarkets.
page 6
Coast enters second wave lockdown The jump two levels, from Covid-19 Level 1 to Level 3, caught the community by surprise when it was announced late on August 11. This time the Level 3 lockdown applied to Auckland only, and as this paper went to print it was unclear how long it would continue or whether it would return to a lower level, or ramp up to Level 4. Although the community has faced this before, there was no change in the response.
Despite official advice to “shop as normal”, and supermarkets’ attempts to reassure the public they have plenty of food and supplies, panic buying was rife. Physical distancing measures were reintroduced in supermarkets, as well as limits on customer numbers, limits on some products, queue control and extra cleaning. Flour, toilet paper, hair dye and alcohol were key essentials in people’s trolleys.
People also queued outside dairies, bakeries and liquor stores, and chemists were run off their feet. Life Pharmacy Orewa’s Antony Wentworth says most folks were caught out and masks were in high demand. He says prescription volume increased, which put pressure on the pharmacy’s free delivery service. Dr Peter Hall of Family Doctors says his heart sank at going back to Level 3. “We are back to Level 4 precautions in effect,” he says. “Seeing patients
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in PPE if they have respiratory symptoms, doing Covid swabs in the car park, encouraging phone and video consults. We only admit patients when we have confirmed they are not likely to be infectious and have shut down some non-essential services until we find out what happens next.” Cafés and restaurants, still in recovery from the last lockdown, were forced to offer takeout only, taking in their tables and chairs. Destination Orewa continued p2