There are six new cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand and one additional death. She was a woman in her 80s from the Rosewood rest home cluster in Christchurch.
There is one new death and six new cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand, according to Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield.
The new death takes the country's total toll to 14. She was a woman in her 80s from the Rosewood rest home cluster in Christchurch where seven others have died.
The woman had been considered a probable case.
She had not been tested for the virus but was treated as a confirmed case based on her exposure history and clinical symptoms.
Bloomfield said every person New Zealand loses to Covid-19 is a tragedy.
He has given his daily press conference, along with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who has provided an update on alert level 3, which comes into effect at 11.59pm on Monday.
The total number of cases is now 1451. So far, 1036 have recovered, meaning the number of active Covid-19 cases is 401.
Bloomfield said there are 11 people in hospital – two in ICU, in Middlemore and Dunedin hospitals.
They are both reported as being in a stable condition.
He also this afternoon revealed the Ministry of Health is developing a visitor policy for District Health Boards under alert level 3.
He said he would have more to say on that within the next few days.
Asked when New Zealand will get down to zero new cases, Bloomfield said the aim was to stop any on-going infections.
"This is the situation we wanted to be in, and the situation we want to stay in," he said.
Speaking to reporters this afternoon, Ardern confirmed Health Minister David Clark and Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters will be returning to Wellington under alert level 3.
Both have not been in the capital over the alert level 4 period.
Ardern said three of the six cases today were connected to overseas travellers. The people in question had been on the Greg Mortimer cruise ship.
The other three were related to existing clusters.
Those returning to New Zealand will continue having to be quarantined when they return, Ardern said.
There are 2403 people who have returned home that are in quarantine - in hotels.
Breaches
Ardern provided a reminder to people that although the country is going into alert level 3 on Monday, New Zealand is still in level 4 this long Anzac weekend.
Police told her that 99.99 per cent of people are obeying the rules but there had been 4128 breaches, 430 prosecutions and 115 youth referrals.
She urged Kiwis to stay home this weekend.
"While we are looking forward to things we can do under level 3, we must not risk the gains that we have made."
"Each and every one of these people breaching the rules risks undoing the work of others."
Over the long Easter weekend, police were out in force, stopping people who were outside their bubbles.
It is expected to be a similar situation this weekend.
Moving to level 3
Ardern encouraged people to "support local businesses" when NZ goes into alert level 3 and do research around if their favourite takeaway providers delivery, or contactless pickup.
Bloomfield said a new order means some businesses will be able to work over the coming days to prepare for level 3, if they can do so safely.
Ardern said she expected 400,000 people to return to work next week. "Safety is paramount" in moving to level 3.
Inger criticised the decision that allows some students back to school next week, telling parents their children can die from the virus and the Government has passed on child-minding duties to teachers.
In a three-page newsletter obtained by the Herald, he warned of the "potential disaster" of sending children back to the school once level 4 lifts next week.
He said some parents might be sending children back to school simply because they are a "pain in the neck" at home.
Children can contract Covid-19 and pass it on when asymptomatic, and they can die," said Inger, citing the Marist College cluster in Auckland.
And while the school would try to maintain social distancing rules for children, this could not be guaranteed, he said.
Ardern said today Inger probably had her in mind when he made the comments - her father was a police officer and her mother a teacher, both essential workers so she likely would have had to return to school.
"We are seeing businesses struggling after only a few weeks in a pretty bad situation, which must speak to the strength of those small businesses going into this lockdown."
She said she was worried that people had started a small business without understanding "how to survive a setback".
"We are seeing businesses struggling after only a few weeks in a pretty bad situation, which must speak to the strength of those small businesses going into this lockdown."
She said she was worried that people had started a small business without understanding "how to survive a setback".
Random testing
There are still 16 clusters of Covid-19 around the country.
Yesterday there were 5289 tests - a record high. There have been more than 94,000 tests.
Bloomfield said there is wider testing across New Zealand, with a specific focus on Maori and Pasifika.
There will be more testing of selective groups across the country, he said. That means more random testing.
He said Kiwis can "rest assured" that the Government is already working actively on how the Government will distribute a Covid-19 vaccine once it becomes available.
Asked if GPs need more funding, Ardern said the Government has already provided money for those in this sector.
She added GPs are eligible for the wage subsidy.
Asked for her reaction to reports that front line health staff have been bullied for asking for more PPE equipment, Ardern said it was not acceptable.
She said the Government wants front line workers to have access to as much PPE equipment as they need.
Every time an issue was raised, the Government followed up.
"Please keep giving us those examples so we can flush them out.
"We have a health system where workers should speak freely about concerns they have."
Airline staff
Bloomfield said there are stringent guidelines in place for airline staff still flying internationally that are keeping air trade still going.
The guidelines would limit the chance of Covid-19 coming back into the country.
Bridges' comments
Asked if National leader Simon Bridges was politicising Covid-19 and the lockdown extention, Ardern said she was not paying attention to what Bridges was saying.
Arden said she reached out to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to express New Zealand's sympathies after a mass shooting on Sunday.
A 51-year-old man went on a shooting rampage across the northern part of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia on Sunday, killing 17 people, including a policewoman. Officials said the suspected shooter was also dead.
The man was identified as Gabriel Wortman and authorities said he disguised himself as a police officer in uniform at one point and mocked up a car to make it seem like a Royal Canadian Mounted Police cruiser.
He was arrested by the RCMP in a service station in Enfield, Nova Scotia, northwest of downtown Halifax. Police later announced that he had died.
