Covid-19 coronavirus: Ashley Bloomfield says no new cases for five days in row, no patients in hospital

No patients are in hospital with Covid-19 for the first time since New Zealand went into lockdown.

The good news comes as director general of health Ashley Bloomfield reveals there are no new Covid-19 cases today. It is the fifth day in a row since New Zealand has recorded a case. Only 21 coronavirus cases are active, he says.

Bloomfield said in alert level 4 a lot of people got out to exercise and he encouraged them to continue those habits.

Maintaining that level of physical activity, that would help you to stay healthy over winter, he said.

The Ministry of Health was continuing to work with the Ministry of Transport to promote the benefits of walking and cycling.

The move to alert level 1

Health ministry advice to Cabinet on Monday was for another four weeks at alert level 2 and at the moment that advice stands, Bloomfield said.

Officials wanted to be certain that relaxing activities didn't come with more infections.

The ministry was "working hard" on what alert level 1 would look like and what arrangements would need to be in place for the transtasman bubble.

It has asked for more advice on when masks should be worn from various technical advisory groups.

That advice is still being finalised and would be made available soon.

International students to return?

Work is under way to allow international students back into the country, but everyone coming in would need to comply with quarantine or managed self-isolation.

Bloomfield had signed off "a handful" of applications for people coming into New Zealand for infrastructure needs, but said economic development minister Phil Twyford signed off screen industry exemptions.

The health ministry is looking at options for foreigners coming into the country on exemptions to self-isolate or quarantine in their country of origin and testing before they fly but the current requirements are still for them to use the managed facilities.

The focus of testing will shift when the country moves down to alert level 1.

There is a proposal before Cabinet for a testing regime at the border to begin on June 8.

There have been just three new cases of Covid-19 in the past fortnight.

On Monday, the Ministry of Health said New Zealand would eliminate the virus if there were no new cases for at least 28 days and the country continues to have strong border measures.

The last confirmed case was on May 22, and was a household contact linked to the St Margaret's cluster in Auckland.