Covirus 19 coronavirus: What is open at level 2?

New Zealand will drop to Alert Level 2 at midnight. The Herald answers your questions about what you can do and where you can go tomorrow.

What will be open that was not open before?

Practically everything. Clothing chains, department stores, garden centers, massage parlors, hair salons, whatever. Some even plan to open at midnight, which First Retail Group managing director Chris Wilkinson said was part of the “theater” of retail.

“Honestly, I have not heard of anyone who does not open,” he said.

Tomorrow is a “golden opportunity” for companies to welcome customers, and Wilkinson hoped everyone would jump in to take advantage of it.

What about shopping malls?

Malls will reopen, but you should check the opening hours of your local mall.

Kiwi Property, which owns several shopping centers throughout the country, will reopen its centers at reduced hours on level 2. There will be no night trade until May 28.

Kiwi Property shopping malls include Sylvia Park and LynnMall in Auckland, The Base and Center Place in Hamilton, The Plaza in Palmerston North and Northlands in Christchurch.

They will use people counting systems to monitor customer capacity limits at each center.

Will the garden centers be open?

Garden centers are gearing up to open their doors like everyone else tomorrow, so you can get down to work on any winter gardening.

California Home and Garden Lower Hutt manager Greg Lowe said they had been doing stable business through click-and-cash, but that many of their clients were an older demographic who might not have been sure to use the services in line, so it was hard to tell if there was’ It would be an influx tomorrow.

“We don’t know how busy we are going to be, but fingers are crossed.”

Lowe said they were well supplied, apart from a couple of things, but that 99 percent of the products would be fully available.

A Palmers spokeswoman said they hoped to reopen and would take many security precautions.

“High contact areas like cars, boxes, etc terminals will be cleaned between uses,” he said.

“In accordance with government guidelines, Palmers stores have stocked up on disinfectants, wipes, and PPE equipment. We have the ability to contact tracking and we will make sure that social distancing is met.”

How about DIY stores?

Bunnings and Miter 10 will welcome the masses tomorrow, but don’t expect the Bunnings sausage sizzle to start again.

Bunnings New Zealand director Jacqui Coombes said all stores across the country would return to normal opening hours on level 2, and would have security measures, including markings on the 2-meter floor, increased cleanliness and possible limits of customers in the store.

“Our team members have been working hard to have shelves full and ready for customers tomorrow,” he said.

“We anticipate that there may be some delays in our busiest stores when Tier 2 begins and as we do our best to ensure that customers can get what they need in a safe and orderly environment that also protects our team.”

Bunnings proposes to close seven stores in smaller cities with 145 affected employees.

Can I do dental work?

People are sure to start booking dental appointments at Level 2, but the New Zealand Dental Association (NZDA) is recommending clients to phone instead of showing up at their local clinic.

Important questions must be answered by phone before patients can attend in person, the NZDA said.

“Dentists always have infection prevention and control measures and are highly trained in this,” said NZDA President Dr. Katie Ayers.

“Doing this is not new to us. As a profession, we can draw on a long history of mandatory standards in this area.”

Will the supermarkets return to normal hours?

Yes and no. Some, like Countdown, plan to return to pre-trade trading hours. Others will remain on tight schedules on a case-by-case basis.

The countdown will increase all product limits and bring back lottery tickets and fresh flowers. New World has recommended that customers follow their local store on Facebook to keep up with opening hours.

Will the post store be open?

A NZ Post spokesperson said most of its outlets are expected to reopen tomorrow, but opening hours may vary.

Customers can see which post stores are open and check opening hours using the post store locator tool on the website. If a store’s opening hours are listed, that means it’s open.

“It may take a few days for your local store to get back up and running, so check back in a few days if you’re not sure.”

When can I cut my hair?

As soon as I can get an appointment. Some barbers have announced that they will open at midnight.

In Birkenhead, for example, at least three local barbers will open one minute after midnight.

Barber Tomi Cvetanovski plans to drink plenty of coffee and sugar to keep him awake for the grand reopening.

“I’m not sure what to expect, but we will have a lot of work ahead of us,” he said.

“There will be a maximum of two barbers and two clients inside at the same time and the others will have to wait outside.”

I can go to the cinema?

Technically yes, he is allowed to go to the cinema on level 2, as long as he remains “separate” from other attendees, according to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.

But the unfortunate reality is that most movies now have a later than originally expected release date due to the Covid-19 crisis, so many cinemas in New Zealand don’t have any new movies to show.

Some play less recent movies for customers who still want to enjoy the experience of watching movies.

Others, like Empire Cinema in Island Bay, Wellington, are delaying the reopening of the cinema.

General manager Nick Payne said Empire would open its cafe, but that the theater itself is unlikely to open for at least another four weeks.

“There is no real content to play,” he said.

“I think the next [movie release] it’s Mulan … once this all hit, I think Hollywood basically shut down and started taking out their releases. “

Can I try on my clothes?

Yes, but the process may be a little slower. Wilkinson said retailers will clean the locker room after each use, which means that it will take longer to try things on.

Some also plan to let the garments “rest” for 24 hours after being tested and returned, and will use steam to cool the garments before replacing them with the rest of the stock.

What will be the opening hours?

There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this, as every store, mall, and business can work differently.

But Wilkinson said most companies will aim to operate during normal business hours, particularly because there will be an influx of people wanting to shop, but less time to do so due to restrictions on the numbers allowed in the store.

How will people stay safe while shopping?

The companies have been working hard for the past week preparing to safely welcome customers to Level 2, Wilkinson said.

There will be more cleaning, new procedures for staff to learn, and controlled entry so stores are not crowded.

Some places will also register visitors with a QR code to help with contact tracking.

There may also be sanitizing stations and staff can use PPE in some stores.

Can I eat in the food court of my local shopping center?

Yes. The food courts will reopen tomorrow, but they hope to see a little more control to keep people away from each other, a daunting prospect at a mall lunchtime.

More cleaners are being used to make sure the tables are cleared as quickly as possible after someone leaves, to make room for the next group.

Say goodbye to self-service on Chinese takeout too. Wilkinson said buffet-style restaurants will make changes to prevent the masses from breathing through the food.

What about my place of worship?

While churches can open, they still have to obey the 10-person meeting limit, which means traditional services aren’t happening right now.

Many churches have live streaming services throughout the confinement.

Church of Destiny leader Brian Tamaki criticized the government’s decision and said it will continue a Sunday service.

“A church can act as responsibly as a cinema when it comes to health precautions and physical distancing,” it said in a statement.

“In the Bill of Rights, the government must act fairly when making decisions about religious groups, and it does not do so by allowing companies to have more than 10 people on their premises, but not churches.”