City throws open the doors
To the untrained eye it looks like lockdown never happened.
As level 2 dawned in Manawatu¯ yesterday, residents came out of their homes for nonessential shopping and services for the first time in seven weeks.
A couple of weeks ago the roads were empty.
Now, cars dominate the streets again, waiting to slip into one of the few car parks remaining.
On the outskirts of the city the first passenger plane touched down in the region just after 9am, marking the reopening of regional air travel under alert level 2.
Two flights from Auckland and one from Christchurch touched down and took off from the Palmerston North Airport tarmac, as friends and family of passengers from Auckland waited anxiously for their loved ones to walk off the first plane.
Armed with a small carry-on bag and a face mask, Emma O’connor waited for family members to drive her to Whanganui to spend time with her dying grandfather.
O’connor wasn’t sure if the workers at the rest home he lived in would allow her to enter the facility, but she had to try. ‘‘I wanted to make the effort anyway.
‘‘The [Covid-19] cases are really low and I’m of the opinion that it’ll be safe to see him.’’
Alan O’connor had been ill for months and had been given five days to live. ‘‘Even if I don’t get to see him, [the family] will need as much help as they can get.’’
Airport safety and security manager Terry Cooney was checking passengers’ boarding passes before unlocking the doors into the terminal.
Cooney said only passengers would be admitted to the terminal to encourage social distancing. Families were welcome to wait in the car park, in their vehicles, when picking up travellers.
The mall
Through The Plaza hundreds of people weaved between each other, passing groups of frazzled strangers queueing to get their eyebrows done or update their mobile phone plans.
Shelley Driver was perched in a kiosk waiting for an eyebrow technician to see her.
She’d dropped her son off at a barber and because she wasn’t allowed to wait with him thought she’d get her own makeover.
Physical distancing messages were scattered throughout the mall, but that didn’t stop the flow of customers.
At least 40 people were waiting for the chance for peruse Kmart’s stock, creating an everincreasing, snake-like line.
In a cafe opposite the store, Nan Glentworth, 80, and her husband Barry, 84, were people watching as they finished their sandwiches.
They’d travelled from Whanganui to visit their family and shop for a new car. It was their first outing since lockdown began.
‘‘It’s good to get out,’’ Barry said.
Hair dressers
Vivo Kelvin Grove manager Vanessa Jones said signage for staff and customers had arrived and was up, and protective gear was ready to use.
Tea and coffee would be provided in throwaway cups and magazines were off the table — instead the salon was sharing its internet password.
The salon was trying not to overbook, allowing enough time for appointments and being aware of the number of people in the building.
Customers were supportive and comfortable with the procedures in place to keep everyone safe.
Gyms
Gyms such as Flex Fitness, Snap Fitness and Jetts opened their doors yesterday, but City Fitness will remain shut until Monday, with strict sanitation controls.