Worst queues yet, says shopper

Supermarket queues were longer than ever over Easter, as shoppers braved the lines to restock after a one-day closure.

After supermarkets closed on Good Friday, New World Wellington City – known to locals as Chaffers – had a line around the block by midday. Other supermarkets around the capital reportedly had long waits, even by lockdown standards.

Tania Skene, who lives nearby Oriental Parade, had biked down to Chaffers to pick up a few items on Saturday.

On seeing the line, she biked on to Moore Wilson’s, saw a line right the way around its car park and out onto the street, and so biked on to New World Railway Metro.

‘‘Those were the worst queues

Despite a supermarket worker being infected with Covid-19, queues remained long at the Hastings store where they worked. On Friday, Hawke’s Bay District Health Board announced the worker may have been infectious while on two separate shifts at New World in Flaxmere.

On Saturday, queues were out the door at the supermarket.Two Hastings District councillors – Henare O’Keefe and Peleti Oli – were among those present, reassuring residents. ‘‘There’s no fear here but the level of caution has gone up . . . the number of people wearing masks has gone up, including myself,’’ O’Keefe said.

I’ve seen in the time we’ve been in lockdown,’’ Skene said.

The smaller supermarkets tended to have those little things that quickly disappeared from the main centres, she said, like baking soda. All up, it took her an hour and a half to get 12 items. ‘‘But I got some exercise, so it’s not all bad.’’

Countdown Newtown was in a similar state, with a line down the escalator, out the door, through the car park and about 50 metres down the street.

Celeste Pinfold was shopping for a big family and her parents. She told Stuff she had been waiting half an hour and wasn’t even inside the car park yet.

Her local supermarket was in Churton Park but it had been shopped out and lacked most of the things she needed.