‘Nervous’ times as Bay goes orange

Last month, Jane Dixon announced on Facebook that the Mussel Inn – the restaurant and music venue she owns with husband Andrew – would opt into the vaccine pass system.

‘‘To those that are choosing not to get vaccinated we do respect your choice but unfortunately, we will not be able to welcome you onto our premises,’’ Dixon wrote.

In almost 30 years in business, the last few weeks had been the most difficult of her career, Dixon told Stuff.

Most people had been kind and understanding, with people ‘‘on both sides’’ weighing in with support for her decision, she said. However, others were angry.

‘‘People are saying, ‘you’re rolling over to the Government’,’’ she said.

‘‘It’s tricky,’’ she said. ‘‘We’re a pretty highly unvaxed area; we know lots of people who won’t be able to come with the mandate.’’

But her hands were tied: with contactless pick-up too hard, opting out would mean closure, and 30 staff members out of work, she said.

‘‘They have mortgages, rent, and children to feed. We have school kids working here, it gives them an opportunity to get a bit of money and work experience. I don’t want to lay them off, and I can’t afford to pay them [if we close].’’

Opting in also meant the restaurant would be able to offer the music programme that has put the venue on every Kiwi muso’s touring map, she said.

Golden Bay/Mohua was in the bottom 5 per cent for fully vaccinated suburbs according to figures from the Covid-19 Map, with 67 per cent of its population fully vaccinated.

This week, Barney Thomas, chairman of Manawhenua ki Mohua, a coalition of Ngāti Tama, Ngāti Rārua and Te tiawa, urged unvaccinated visitors to avoid Golden Bay.

‘‘We’re not saying no to visitors but ensure that you look after our whānau,’’ Thomas said.

‘‘Make sure you’re clear of Covid and make sure you’re vaccinated.’’

Golden Bay Community Board member Grant Knowles said there was concern among some businesses that the low rates would deter visitors.

With about two-thirds of Mohua businesses having some tourism involvement, Knowles was pleased that the Bay had avoided a red light.

As operator of Takaka’s Village market and owner of the Art Vault Gallery, he was keen to see the Bay have a prosperous summer season.

However, lines had been firmly drawn in the Bay, and strong feelings had caused conflict, he said.

‘‘There’s division happening beneath the surface, which is a scary thing.

‘‘A lot of people are saying be open to everybody, either way it’s tricky, you’re either discriminating or you’re putting people in danger.’’

Some were concerned that low vaccination rates would deter visitors, particularly Aucklanders, who make up a significant tourist share.

’’Are people going to turn around and go somewhere that is better vaccinated?’’

On the other hand, some were worried Aucklanders would bring Covid to an area with insufficient health facilities, Knowles said.

With a health condition and cancer treatment only a few months behind him, Knowles had been vaccinated. ‘‘And I also did it for people in the community, I don’t want to spread it around.’’

Wholemeal Cafe owner Wayne Green said he felt ‘‘nervous anticipation’’ about the coming weeks.

So far, he hadn’t been able to replace the staff he’d lost due to the mandates.

Low staffing levels could make operating over the summer’s busiest weeks a challenge and could mean having to scale down operations, or change the way the popular cafe worked. ‘‘We’re on edge. It will mean a big change to how we run the cafe.’’

As well as staff, he’d lost customers by joining the vaccine pass system, he said.

But like Dixon, he had no choice, he said. ‘‘We have to [opt in]. We can’t even look at the option of closing.’’

Green and his staff were trying to channel the positivity that had allowed them to ‘‘roll with the punches’’ through expensive lockdowns and pandemic uncertainty.

He anticipated the normal summer rush, but expected it might be smaller this year. ‘‘It’s anyone’s guess how the summer’s going to go.’’