Lockdown has been a mental health challenge for many, raising anxiety levels and leaving people isolated.
But for a fifth of the country that isolation is amplified by the use of masks.
The deaf and hard of hearing are concerned that masks will continue to be used as the Government considers a move to level 1.
Mosgiel mum Amy Taylor is hard of hearing and relies on lip-reading to help her understand people. So life behind masks has been a challenge.
"They cover up the lip-reading and also the starting and stopping and when people are speaking and they muffle the words, so the whole combination makes the puzzle fall apart," she says.
Going for a COVID-19 test left her feeling vulnerable as she couldn't understand what the health workers were saying. And simple things like going to the supermarket, pharmacy or using public transport have suddenly become cause for anxiety.
"It makes me feel… isolated, anxious, I don't want to go out as much as I would have done otherwise."
Taylor's not alone. It's a problem she shares with 880,000 New Zealanders who are deaf or hard of hearing.
The National Foundation for Deaf and Hard of Hearing is calling on the Government to do better.
"They can do more, we know they can do more and we would like to see them improve their COVID-19 response to consider the deaf and hard of hearing community," its CEO Natasha Gallardo says.
This includes looking at alternative face coverings which enable lip-reading.
"We understand the safety requirements of wearing a mask, that's not what we're asking them to review," she says.
"What we want them to do is look at other countries such as the UK where they are wearing masks, especially frontline workers, with that perspex."
The deaf community want to raise awareness and say if someone is struggling to hear, there's the option to increase your distance so you can remove your mask.
Until COVID goes away, masks are likely here to stay. They want to make sure those like Taylor aren't left out of the conversation.
