The finance minister is still mulling how the Government will support food and beverage businesses suffering financial burden in the red traffic light setting. That is in large part due to people choosing to stay home in self-imposed lockdowns, writes political editor Jo Moir.
When the country moved into the red traffic light setting on January 23 both the Prime Minister and her deputy, Grant Robertson, stressed it was not a lockdown.
At the time Jacinda Ardern said, “at red, businesses stay open, and you can do most of the things that you normally do, including visiting family and friends and moving around the country’’.
But many businesses have chosen not to keep offices open to staff and while overall economic activity is only down 2-5 percent, it is significantly worse for the food and beverage sector.
Central Wellington cafe owners spoken to by Newsroom said foot traffic was very light as people increasingly worked from home at either their employers' directive or because they felt it was safer not to come into the city.
The protest at Parliament was putting even more people off coming into work and had further added to their financial stress.
Robertson said he would continue to reiterate there was no need for people not to head into the city to work.
"From a public service point of view, the message is people should work as they normally do,’’ he told Newsroom.
As for the food and beverage sector, Robertson said he is constantly looking at “how to provide targeted support''.
“We will have more to say about that in the near future.’’
Given businesses can still operate in the red traffic light setting, the same support schemes that were available during previous lockdowns aren’t available this year.
But Robertson accepts some sectors are doing it tougher than others and he continues to monitor activity to see if support is needed.
Many chief executives and employers across a range of sectors from the public service to banking, law firms, communications companies and more are telling their staff to work from home at the red setting.
Some of that is driven by a desire to reduce contact with colleagues and therefore avoid spread if there were a positive Covid case identified, and for others it is a personal preference not to leave home.
“In the end, people’s behaviour is their own responsibility and they will make their own choices,’’ Robertson told Newsroom.
“We’re clear the public health measures we have at the red setting allow you to go out safely.”
Robertson said if people are wearing a mask and exercising social distancing it is safe to be out and about.
“We keep encouraging people to do that, ultimately though, people will behave in line with their own views and beliefs.’’
Overseas jurisdictions have seen a pattern where eventually, after a certain amount of time of staying indoors, people do decide to venture back out again.
Robertson said it's possible that will play out in New Zealand too.
