East Coast hapū want authorities to declare a state of "regional emergency" to protect vulnerable Tairāwhiti communities from the highly infectious Delta variant.
Matakaoa Covid-19 response spokeswoman Ani Pahuru-Huriwai says community members are worried as they are seeing a lot of strangers around who they fear could bring the virus to the area.
Hapū and marae of Ngāti Porou want static, police-led checkpoints at the northern and southern boundaries of their rohe - from Potikirua near Wharekahika/Hicks Bay to Uawa/Tolaga Bay.
Pahuru-Huriwai spoke to Corin Dann.
