Covid-19 coronavirus: New Zealanders who live alone can have a 'buddy system' for lockdown

New Zealanders who live alone can "buddy up" with another person living alone and support each other through the lockdown period, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has said.

While many families will be supporting each other and going through self-isolation together, there are also a number of New Zealanders who live alone.

For these people, Ardern suggests a "buddy system" that involves someone who lives alone teaming up with another person living alone in their community. Those people can agree to only see each other and no one else through the lockdown period.

That way, they can still stay in their respective homes but be a support for each other through the next four weeks.

The Prime Minister explained that people should see their home as a "bubble" and only those who live in it are part of the bubble. Those are the only people most of us can interact with.

Exceptions are made for families with shared custody of children, living in the same community. For those people, who will have children spend time between two homes during lockdown, the bubble includes those two households.

Another exception applies to people who live alone, who can have a designated buddy for support, who does not live in the same "bubble". As long as those people mutually agree to buddy up and not see anyone else through the lockdown period, they can go between each other's "bubbles".

A buddy system can also be used to look after children of essential workers during the lockdown.

Ardern said it is important not to expand the "bubble" beyond that.

The Prime Minister is calling on New Zealanders to use "common sense" and ensure that they eliminate the chances to spread the virus.

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• Covid19.govt.nz: The Government's official Covid-19 advisory website