It's another week of no Covid-19 cases - or change in alert levels for the South Island.
Organisers will soon need to decide whether or not to call off the Addington Cup. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Restaurants, pubs and cafes were offered a glimmer of hope in the latest announcement - from midnight the cap of 100 customers at any one time is lifted but people still have to be seated and separated.
Hospitality NZ Canterbury branch head Peter Morrison gave it a resounding thumbs down.
"It's just made it harder," he said.
"In most bars, people go up to the bar and get their drinks. And to have to have table service, you're going to need a lot more staff and there's a shortage of staff in New Zealand."
Morrison said any money made from serving more customers will have to be spent on the extra staff needed for table service.
Queenstown Lakes Mayor Jim Boult said businesses are haemorrhaging money at alert level 2 and, at some point, New Zealanders have got to get on with life.
He said splitting the country in two could be a way around it, so the South Island could move to level 1.
"We do have a pretty good natural border with the Cook Strait," he said.
"Of anywhere in New Zealand, we're the easiest to fence off, if you want to put it that way.
"That applies to both sea transport and air transport, it's not hard to control both ends of that."
A South Island border is an idea that appeals to Christchurch people that spoke to RNZ, although others were not so sure.
One person said the risk of Covid-19 far outweighed the frustration that comes with being at alert level 2, while another said it would boost business trade in the South Island if restrictions were lowered.
Darrin Williams is waiting and hoping that the biggest week in Christchurch's social calendar will be able to go ahead in just over a month's time.
The Addington Cup Week brings in an estimated $30 million to the local economy and the raceway manager still doesn't know if the stands will open for this country's version of the Melbourne Cup.
Williams said 19 October is decision-day for the event - and Canterbury needs to be at alert level 1 or the public will be shut out.
"We're treading water. As time marches on, we're going to get to a crunch day, where we will be potentially locked into a situation that we can't get out of," he said.
"Then we'd have to run a Cup Week without a large number of the population that are desperate to be there.
"The demand for tickets, in my history in the industry, has never been as high. If we went on sale today, we could easily be sold out in a week."
And the organizers of the Canterbury A&P show are still holding out hope it will go ahead in November.
General manager Tracy Ahern said a final decision on the event will be made by the end of next week.
"Level 1 would be ideal, that would take first prize," she said.
"I think there's a real recognition that people have had a tough time and this one would bring our communities together and bridge that rural-urban divide.
"I just feel that it's something we should try really hard to achieve, whatever it looks like."
Prime Minster Jacinda Ardern said she can understand the frustration of some in the south but lockdowns have stopped the virus taking hold there.
"The single most important thing that people outside of Auckland can do if they want to see the return of large scale gatherings and events is get vaccinated.
"Or, even better, if you are vaccinated, support and encourage someone who isn't to get along to a centre this weekend."
Another announcement on any alert level changes is expected to be made next week.