Business will support the swift move for a “short, sharp” country-wide lockdown and relieved that the wage subsidy will
kick in immediately as Government pulls out all stops to get on top of the highly infectious Delta strain as the best
option to protect the health of people and the economy.
Auckland Business Chamber CEO, Michael Barnett, said business was “prepared for the worst”, had communicated with staff
on lockdown plans and processes to revert to remote working and maintain essential services if possible, and also had
the certainty needed with the financial lifelines at hand.
“Going hard and early will be acceptable to business rather than risking a situation like Sydney and Melbourne,” he
said. “But to minimise the pain and let us get out of a prolonged lockdown and back to freedom, every one of us must
strictly follow all the public health safeguards, scan in for fast tracing, get tested if unwell, wear a mask, maintain
your distance, and for the safety of us all, get vaccinated to contain the spread.
“This community case has to jolt all of us out of slack habits. We’re playing the game of our lives – and livelihoods.
We don’t have the infrastructure or capacity to cope with a mass outbreak, so speed and compliance are critical.”