Fighting on the frontline: As we get used to alert level 2, Newshub is talking to the essential workers who have provided vital support to Kiwis during lockdown.
While medical professionals and emergency services have been keeping Kiwis safe from coronavirus, a less obvious essential worker has emerged as just as important to keep New Zealand functioning.
Supermarket workers have been popular roles for many Kiwis, but now they are getting recognition for the hard work they put in to provide one of life's most important essentials: groceries.
They have been servicing the country through the panic buying phase, the social distancing restrictions of lockdown, and the uncertainty as New Zealand slowly decreases in alert levels.
New World Victoria Park's checkout clerk Zoe Kobovich-shaw, 18, and store manager Josh Prince, 32, remained dedicated their roles on the frontline and are now opening up about the changes they took on.
At the end of February, when New Zealand got it's first confirmed case of coronavirus, Kiwis hit the supermarket to stock up on essential items.
First, there were fights over toilet paper, then a flour shortage as baking kicked in. Lines wound their way out of stores as people queued up at peak times around the country.
"It would definitely be those first couple of days before the lockdowns were sort of going into and they were announcing the potential level 4 and the border shut and that's when we had the big influx in demand," Josh recalls.
"Just really coming to terms with what that means for the business and having to think quite quickly about how we can best serve our customers, it was something I'd never seen before. Trades like you would see around Christmas and sometimes even bigger than that."
Zoe says working at the checkout during the initial stages "wasn't actually as scary as some people made it out to be".
"Everyone was stressed but it was okay because everyone was in the same boat and we had it basically under control straight away," she says.
"It makes the day go by fast when you've got a full checkout and most of the customers just wanted to get in and out."
She says once the supermarket workers "realised what we were in for" they began to put in processes and measures to keep people safe and it made it manageable.
Josh, who has been working in supermarkets since he was 14, agrees.
"We had to try and find our feet pretty quickly and change a few processes in-store, especially around replenishing the shelves, just keeping that stock availability there," he says.
Josh says since the pandemic took off customers have been a lot more caring and understanding. He says attitudes have "absolutely" changed towards supermarket workers since the pandemic.
"Customers have been a lot more patient and I think that perspective on what goes on in a supermarket and what we are actually delivering for the community.
"Also the intricacies you know it's not just a can of baked beans on a shelf and a checkout, there's a lot of cogs that go into making sure we can deliver for the customer. So it's been great to see some of that feedback come through and it really gives the team a lift when we hear these sort of things."
Zoe says she never imagined the important role she would play in the pandemic.
"It's a little bit weird. I didn't think when I handed in my C.V. at New World that is what I'd end up doing and now when I talk to my family and everything and they are all at home in lockdown and I've become the only one working it's an odd feeling...
"People ask all the time what it's like working at the supermarket and I'm actually grateful {I get to] come in and see my work family every day.
"We are all just in the same boat and have a good time even though we're in work mode and it's been nice. We've all become a little bit closer. That's been a little highlight of it."
Josh says there are also some positives which have come out of the pandemic for the supermarket workers.
"We are quite lucky to be able to get out here and service the community and get outside our bubble to do an important job and I really have seen internal relationships blossom and grow…
"I feel pretty proud, I've been pretty excited, it's certainly given me a bit of a shakeup and a bit more motivation to really push myself and also seeing some of the young ones we've got coming on board that may have only been with us for six months to a year, case in point Zoe, really showing pride in her work as well and getting to learn things and really stepping up."
They agree the pandemic will change how supermarkets operate in the future with stronger health protection measures to protect customers from illnesses and a move towards more online delivery to minimise human contact.
But for now, it's business as usual in the supermarket as New Zealand begins the next phase of the pandemic at alert level 2.
