A couple of weeks ago COVID 19 trading restrictionists were changing so fast it was difficult to know what was open….what was closed…..and how they were actually conducting business. There was a ‘rumour’ – nasty things we shouldn’t take any notice of – a rumour circulating that three of our very large companies were going to have to shut their doors temporarily.
Bunnings ( hardware) – Spotlight (home decor and craft) – Dan Murphy’s (beer wine spirits)…….they all provide what some would call ‘essentials’ but would the government think otherwise?
,Bars hotels and restaurants had closed and obviously for some (read that as many) to sit around without a drink of two to lighten their load was something they couldn’t contemplate – there was a rush to to the bottle shops to buy up big. Really big!
SO we now have a limit on alcohol purchases which include a maximum of two slabs of beer or cider, 12 bottles of wine, two cases of pre-mix spirits, two casks of wine and two bottles of spirits (two bottles not more than 2 litres. The limits apply per customer, per day 😎🍷😳 Source
Also it appeared many felt the need to while away their time at home by starting home and garden improvements plus buying up all the ‘masks and protective gear’ they could find so as well as giving tradies, health and emergency service workers a dedicated early morning time to shop……Bunnings will be enforcing strict shopping limits to ensure panic buyers don’t strip stores of essential household goods. There’s a limit of four items per person for cleaning and storage products, batteries and garden sprayers. Also Items such as generators, respirators, face masks, gas bottles, methylated spirits, fuel cans and turpentine will also be limited to one item per customer Source
Meanwhile down at Spotlight things appeared to carry on as usual; ‘safe distance’ floor markings along with measuring counters and check out areas being cleaned were good to see. How do I know that?
Because like a lot of other crafters I made my way down for a little look see – not intending to buy mind, just to see what was on offer. And guess what……their very nice Stallion was on special…..not that I needed any…..but priced at less than $2/100gm when regular price is close to $3 made it very hard to walk away from 😊
This very very sharp looking Royal Blue is knitting up a treat.
Something to keep me occupied during the day because being dark it’s difficult to keep track of the pattern repeats in artificial light. But I’m not too bothered by that because some ‘easier to knit at night’ lighter colours came home with me as well 😊
Still Waters 
I have avoided the temptation of Bunnings. And book stores. So far.
Happy knitting.
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The only stores open here is grocery stores and pharmacies. If one has a store with a drive through they may open. They have senior hours at 7:00 to 8:00 a.m. and we were cautioned to wipe down all groceries. Of course the liquor store is open because they can’t deal with people going into hospital for withdrawal. I have never seen anything like it. If there is more then two people in a car if they are not living at the same address the fine is over $600.00. All the walking trails are closed and our stores are the same as what you said safe distancing.
Hope this will end soon.
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This being Holy Week we are all forbidden to drive unless the last number of the numberplate is permitted on that day…se we are stuck until Sunday!
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I love that blue. It is interesting to read all the blogs and see how different the restrictions are around the world. We are allowed to drive in my state in the U.S., but we can’t really go anywhere! Still it is helpful to drive around and see the flowers just emerging as we enter spring here.
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12 bottles of wine per customer per day? I don’t know–might be cutting it close.😊
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all those brick/mortar stores are “closed in New Zealand” they are not deemed essential, however, you can purchase “essential items online” from some of them. Bunnings and their similar brands are not deemed “essential”…
basically if you have a supermarket or dairy/convenience store within cooee of your home, that’s it…none of the little butchers, fruiterers or liquor stores…
doctor, chemist, medical is essential…lots of us have other health issues…
but there are now lots of businesses applying for the right to supply by only by contactless delivery…and they can’t hand what ever to you.
you can travel by public transport if you need to…but you have strict system with said bus – that particularly in Auckland region where I live. I have no idea about other regions..
the biggest requirement is STAY HOME, take a short daily walk only in your neighbourhood…
there are many new rules and restrictions…it’s really is STAY home…
my neighbour in U2 is an essential worker, he has a letter from his employer in case he’s stopped on the road…
one of our best avenues on all this – is twice daily updates from our PM (Jacinda Ardern) and Director General of Health (Dr Ashley Bloomfield (Male)) ….
Jacinda the other day said that both the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny were essential workers, and now their is a program growing which of course is both residential house windows and online entities. She posted a picture that her daughter Neve made for her Nana of her easter bunny…
Kids are the big losers in all this…a good many won’t understand, for sure…
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That is a beautiful blue and a lovely pattern.
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I love that colour blue and can fully understand why it would be difficult to knit in the dark – a bit like trying to sew up a hem with black thread. I have to sit in full sunshine to do that task 🙂
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It’s been a confusing time here in Western Canada. Everything closed, and online shopping nonexisting. But no matter, we are keeping well. Hope you are too!
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I was blown away by the notion that liquor stores were an “essential service”, I hadn’t realized there were implications for hospitals if they closed. Luckily for me fresh fruit is still plentiful and readily available.
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Glad to see you are well stocked up and knitting away, it is comforting. We are down to grocery stores and pharmacies, plus time slots for pick up at the pharmacy, gas stations and just a few essential places. I think liquor is online. Although it seemed many were teaming across state lines and they told them all to go home.
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Chiming in from Ontario, Canada.
Essential services still operating here, queues for entry to grocery stores, no one in our specific location is wearing masks, except my hubby of course.
Pick up in store, pick up at curb, and home delivery of specific items, but he still has to go into the grocery store if we want anything other than frozen food.
Since February it has been impossible to find sanitizers, no bleach, hydrogen peroxide, or isopropyl alcohol available anywhere, which makes it very hard to sanitize as advised by the government.
Attila was laid off, so our income is now 55% of what is was, but many are much worse off.
We stay home, and are cozy and contented to do so.
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