Unvaccinated Karamea residents prepare for life on the fringes

In the remote West Coast town of Karamea, a significant unvaccinated population is preparing for life with fewer freedoms compared to their vaccinated neighbours.

Q+A reporter Whena Owen visited Karamea, more than an hour’s drive north of Westport, where close to a third of the town is still unvaccinated.

Resident Gisela said she and many others came to the town in the first place for the freedom of living so remote, but under the impending traffic light system, those who aren’t vaccinated against Covid-19 will not be able to go into places like playcentres or licensed venues.

The Last Resort pub has been forced to lay off about a third of their workforce as a result of vaccine mandates.

Now some residents are even talking about developing a barter economy, operating in parallel with the wider economy of the town.

Watch the full story from Whena Owen above.