There is growing concern in the central North Island that the region will be at high-risk of Covid-19 when an expected influx of visitors descend once borders further north reopen.
(file image) Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon
Vaccination rates in the Ruapehu District are some of the lowest in the country, sitting at about 65 percent fully vaccinated.
It is expected Aucklanders keen to travel once restrictions are lifted will flock either to the area or pass through.
Ruapehu District has not had any positive cases of Covid-19, but its neighbouring King Country districts of Waitomo and Ōtorohanga have.
Mayor Don Cameron believed that it was not a matter of if the virus would strike, but when.
''There will be a large number of people visiting and obviously this area is known as a tourist destination, particularly for Aucklanders," Cameron said.
"I am not convinced that the vaccination certificates are ready and we do know a lot of certificates circulating that are false, which does concern us quite a lot.''
Ruapehu District Mayor Don Cameron says the area is known as a tourist destination. Photo: RNZ Insight/Laura Dooney
Out-of-towners would be in the area long before 90 percent of its residents were fully vaccinated, he said.
''We do have a lot of anti-vax sentiment and as long as there is vaccine hesitancy. Hesitancy more amongst Pākehā. Anti-vax more amongst Māori, I think that would be said. That's always difficult to overcome.''
Waitomo District Mayor John Robertson shares his fellow mayor's concern.
His district has one active case and he is keen to keep case numbers that low.
''Once Auckland opens up and if Aucklanders travel, that will potentially bring more Covid cases south, so how we deal with that, or how the government intends to deal with that I am not sure, I don't think it is clear.''
Ruapehu Federated Farmers president Luke Pepper said he was frightened by the thought Covid-19 would be brought into the region, because of the low vaccination rates.
''It will spread like wildfire around the district and we will be shagged, I think, and that's where we are heading," Pepper said.
''We have a pretty average health system down here, albeit they are good doctors and nurses but we are over two hours away from Waikato Hospital, which is our main centre.''
Māori vaccination rates in the region are low, with slightly more than 40 percent second doses in Ruapehu District alone.
Taumarunui Community Kokiri Trust chief executive Christine Brears had no doubt the virus was on its way to the region.
''It's scary really. Currently Taumarunui has no Covid identified here, so once the borders are lifted and everyone comes flowing through, I think that is going to be all gone and I don't think it is too far away.
''To be honest, it would be good if [we] could put stop signs up and say you can't come in but that is a dream I think, it is going to happen and we are going to have to learn to live with it.''
She doubted the region could cope with a major outbreak of Covid-19 cases.
Farmer Luke Pepper agreed that the region would just have to live with any outbreak, because putting up borders around it was just not feasible.
''I really think we should actually open it up but it should be on individuals, DHBs, government to come in here and help get these people vaccinated or set up a plan of what is going to happen if we have 10, 20 people a day picking up Covid.''
Pepper said the irony might be that once the virus was in the community, tourists would then avoid the area.
''We were always worried about Aucklanders coming to Taumarunui and people saying if you are from Auckland don't come here, stay away we don't want you.
"I think it is going to be the opposite in a couple of months, come Christmas when things open up. We might not see the Aucklanders. They might not be stopping here to get these gas, food and come for tourism.''
Ruapehu Mayor Don Cameron said once the borders opened and traffic started flowing in, there may need to be a system set up to check vaccination certificates to make sure they were correct.