Civil Defence has responded to an average of more than 10 calls a day for emergency food across Otago as the region locks down under Covid-19 Alert Level 4 conditions.
As of Wednesday, the hotline, run by Dunedin City Council customer services staff, had received 332 calls from across Otago since it was launched on day 6 of the Alert Level 4 lockdown, council Dunedin welfare manager Simon Pickford said.
Calls to the Otago-wide service were triaged, and some referred to agencies such as Healthline, police, or the Ministry of Social Development for emergency benefits, he said.
However, more than half the calls (183) were passed on to regional Civil Defence teams, "where local welfare teams will then complete a needs assessment to ensure those in need receive appropriate assistance".
Half the referrals from the welfare hotline were for emergency food; 8% were for household goods and services; and 42% were for things such as accommodation support, transport and assistance with grocery or medication delivery.
The service is staffed 7am-7pm seven days a week by 24 council customer services staff.
