Rachel Reese talks about last nights covid-19 meeting in Nelson

The owner of a Nelson tourism company says homeowners who rely on foreign students to supplement their mortgage can expect to be affected by concerns of a looming pandemic. The region is bracing itself for the impacts of the Covid-19 coronavirus overseas, and for its potential arrival to our shores. Birgit Neumann of Study Nelson - which arranges accommodation and tourism for people from Europe, says enrolments are down and her phone is running hot with questions from overseas about the risks of long-haul travel. Ms Neumann was at a public meeting in Nelson last night, hosted by MP Nick Smith, who was keen to gauge the feeling in the business community. She spoke after the meeting with our Nelson reporter Tracy Neal about concerns over the virus and how it might effect her business. Rachel Reese responds to this and talks about the meeting further.