Relief and delight at farewell to level 2
Skifield staff at Mt Hutt were ‘‘dancing with joy’’ while a Christchurch nightclub owner was ‘‘absolutely rapt’’ when the news broke that Covid alert level
2 rules would end for the South Island.
They were among the many people celebrating after Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced yesterday that those outside Auckland could return to level 1 today, ending six weeks of social distancing and crowd limits.
The 100-person limit for events such as weddings, funerals and tangihanga will also lift.
Christchurch mayor Lianne Dalziel said while the move was good news, ‘‘we need to remain vigilant because our fight against
Covid-19 is not over yet’’. Things will return to normal at city council facilities such libraries, pools and fitness centres under level 1, but QR trace codes will still be displayed.
New Brighton hot pool complex He Puna Taimoana will continue the limited-entry sessions it has run since opening this winter. However, the Hanmer Springs hot pools will return to normal straight away.
Mt Hutt ski area manager James McKenzie said staff were ‘‘dancing with joy’’ that they
would no longer have to disinfect hundreds of chairs on the lifts and be ‘‘Covid police’’ on the mountain.
‘‘It has been pretty tough. People come up here to have fun and enjoy a ski, and we’ve had staff having to cajole them to put on masks. Nearly everyone’s been very understanding, but a few have just been oblivious to level 2.
‘‘It will be back to a nice, fun vibe on the mountain again.’’
Level 2 rules had cost Mt Hutt between 5000 and 10,000 skiers, McKenzie said.
After yesterday’s announcement Flux nightclub owner Zac Cooper was ‘‘absolutely rapt’’ and preparing to reopen his doors at last.
After launching in Christchurch’s Box Quarter in February, the music venue has been unable to function for much of the year.
‘‘Financially it has been very tough,’’ said Cooper, who spent his house deposit to open the club and has kept his four staff employed only because of the Government wage subsidy.
‘‘The phone has been off the hook with congratulations. People are very hungry to come back and dance.’’
At Caffeine Laboratory in New Regent St, owner James Bagrie said they were keen to see city workers return as they had noticed ‘‘quite a big drop’’ in the cafe’s trade under level 2.
Canterbury Rugby chief executive Tony Smail said they were ‘‘very excited’’ at the return to level 1, just in time for the schools’ competition finals this week.
Limiting crowd sizes had cost in atmosphere as well as money, Smail said. The inter-provincial competition would normally attract up to 10,000 spectators a game, but had been limited to 1000.
‘‘The public will come back out in droves. It’s been quite eerie with very limited numbers. A full crowd just lifts both teams.’’
The Press leaders debate between Ardern and Judith Collins will run as planned in the James Hay Theatre on October 6. Tickets are sold out for the debate, which will be livestreamed on
Stuff, but running it under level 2 would have meant no live audience.
Jamie Hawker, organiser of Christchurch’s Crater Rim Ultra Run, said the return to level 1 meant more runners could take part in the October 18 event.
Staying in level 2 would have meant limiting the number of runners to 500, whereas he now expected entries to reach last year’s number of 650.
‘‘A lot of people have been holding off, waiting to find out.’’
The weekly Hagley Park run event will restart on Saturday.
The Court Theatre will be able to return performances to its 388-seater main stage after putting on dinner theatre shows in the foyer during level 2 and cancelling or postponing some shows. Chief executive Barbara George said the move to level 1 was in time for Kiwi play Rants in the Dark opening on Saturday.
‘‘We’re just delighted – our audiences have missed us and we’ve missed them.’’
Word Christchurch will also be able to sell more tickets for its literary festival, running from October 28 to November 1. Programme director Rachael King said they were ‘‘very pleased, relieved, and excited’’ at the return to level 1.