RNZ asked shoppers in Christchurch how worried they are about community spread in their neighbourhoods.
Most believe there is a high chance of the virus making its way south and identified the vaccine as the best way of protecting themselves.
However, Katrina Clyma said she was unsure what was in the vaccine. Instead of relying on vaccines to keep the mainland safe, she would rather establish a border and keep potential cases from the North Island out.
"I can't believe we haven't actually protested as in the South Island, saying no, you're not coming here, shut the borders," Clyma said.
"I'm sure we can self-sustain."
Another person, MJ, said she was also keen to avoid having a jab and had her own methods of protecting herself and her family.
"I've got autistic sons and I just keep them home and only go out when I need to," she told RNZ.
"And I do feel guilty to be honest, I know everyone else is [getting vaccinated] and that's cool, but I just want to see if I can protect them my way."
Sue Munro has had both her shots and took it upon herself to encourage her neighbour to get hers as well.
"She was saying to me that she didn't believe in the vaccination, that it could be dangerous. So we just had different conversations throughout the week.
"And finally she came down and she said: 'Oh well, if you're okay, then I should be okay'."
A woman who chose not to be named ran a construction company, employing 100 people, and was worried about the consequences of Covid becoming widespread.
"A lot of people don't realise what the cost is to business owners by not getting vaccinated and relying on Facebook as the be all and end all of knowledge," she said.
"Where are you getting your research from? Facebook, Instagram, or a scientist?"
Canterbury University modeller, Prof Michael Plank, said with Covid cases on a slow but steady rise in Auckland, it is just a matter of when, not if, the virus leaks out of the Auckland/Waikato border and envelops the rest of the country.
"It is a matter of time before it ends up in all parts of the country," Plank said.
"It's very difficult to predict exactly when. I mean it could be tomorrow, [or] it may not be for a couple of months.
"The longer we can contain it, the more time that buys us to get people vaccinated."
An intensive care specialist who helped bring extra ventilators in to the country during last year's outbreak, Andrew Stapleton, said work is under way in hospitals outside of Auckland to accommodate an expected rise in Covid cases.
"We're well prepared for a pandemic surge, because that's what we've had time to prepare for," Stapleton said.
"The shift from pandemic to endemic Covid has occurred quite quickly, and hospitals are much less well prepared for having to carry on with business as usual at the same time as coping with Covid patients."
Stapleton said one of the most pressing needs is finding enough intensive care nurses to man ICU beds.
The Government needs to urgently train its current nursing workforce to take on these roles and provide funding to recruit every single graduate coming out of schools this year, so they can take a place on general nursing wards, he said.
He understood the Government is now actively considering this.
