Whakātane business people are expressing their pain and frustration with the Government's Covid response.

Around 18 members of the Whakātane hospitality and retail business community attended a meeting at The Comm on Friday, organised by Epic Whakātane, to voice their concerns with East Coast MP Kiri Allan.

Allan was there to talk about the new subsidies that were being offered to small businesses as of this week but fielded questions instead about public confusion over continually changing rules, lack of access to Rapid Antigen Testing and when the Government were going to lift vaccine restrictions.

The Comm general manager Ashley Stewart watns to know when the Government is going to drop vaccine passes for bars and restaurants.

"You've eased up on all the definitions for isolation and when you have to get tested and everything else, but when are you going to drop the vaccine passes because it's killing us.

"I've been in hospitality for 20 years and I haven't seen it this bad before, ever. For example, when December 3 [when New Zealand moved into the traffic light system] hit we lost 90 percent of our December bookings. I lost another one last month.

"I've got 18-year-olds standing at the door to check people in and they're getting abuse hurled at them. And it's not their fault."

Allen says the Government plans to begin lifting the mandates once New Zealand moved past the Omicron peak.

Data modelling shows this is expected to be sometime in March, however, Allan says she is not yet able to confirm a timeline for when that will happen.

'The public health experts are still deeming it a necessary measure to have in place,” she says.

Jana Marxen from Distinct Fashion Concepts, in Ōhope, wants to know how to access Rapid Antigen Tests in Whakatāne because the pharmacies in town did not have any in stock.

'I've got some ordered for my business, but they're not going to be here until March 10.”

Radio 1XX owner Glenn Smith, who also attended the meeting, assured Ms Allan that there were supply issues for rapid antigen tests in the Eastern Bay.

'Yesterday, Edgecumbe pharmacy, which is the designated destination for Whakātane for critical workers, did not have any in stock. They were waiting for them.”

Allan says there were stocks in New Zealand now and she had been assured that pharmacies across the country should be carrying rapid antigen tests now.

'If they're not, that's the first I've heard about it. As soon as I leave here, I will get on the blower and get that sorted.”

Owner of bicycle shop Full Cycle, Michaela Wellauer expresses concern that people are confused about who should be isolating.

'We're going through very swift transitions, and I totally take that, but there's very clear guidance as to when you need to stay home and isolate. We're doing a lot of publicity about it.”

The Government announced last week that as of Monday, for the next six weeks, businesses who could show a 40 per cent drop over seven days could receive support payments of $4000 a fortnight, plus $400 for each full-time employee, capped at 50 employees or $24,000.

'There's going to be a lot less people floating around at the moment, while we go through the peak of this particular component of the pandemic, and then we're going to come out,” says Allan.

'So, whilst we're in this state, we'll make this funding available every two weeks for the next six weeks and we will continue to assess that as we go through this Omicron response.

'I really want to hear from you guys about what's going on, whether you think that we've missed something, are there variations or ways that this support that we've designed isn't getting to you?

Mrs Wellauer wants clarification on eligibility for the new subsidy.

'I've read [the information] about eligibility but it's as clear as mud. It's hard to work out if you are eligible or not.”

Allan says the finance minister had been working with Inland Revenue to put out a more detailed and comprehensive criteria, which was released on Thursday.

'The rules are designed with the majority at heart, but we've seen since we made the announcement on Tuesday that there's a whole range of situations that require a bit of nuanced thinking."

She urges business owners that if the support did not assist them to contact her directly.

'I know that you've probably suffered a significant loss over the course of a year. We're trying to make sure we get the net as wide as possible."

-Local Democracy Reporting is Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air