Covid 19 coronavirus: Jacinda Ardern live on lockdown - 'Devastated for people who have lost loved ones'

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says she is heartbroken to hear of people who have lost loved ones during the lockdown and can't given them a proper funeral.

She streamed a Facebook live video this morning, thanking New Zealanders for doing a "great job" with the key principles of alert level 4, including acting as if they had Covid-19 and limiting trips away from home.

She said more than 1000 people who had come to New Zealand from overseas were in supervised accommodation and were being checked on.

I’ve been asking you to share some of your questions with me so I can try and cover the most frequent asked ones - today I thought I’d focus on self isolation and alert level 4.

Posted by Jacinda Ardern on Tuesday, 31 March 2020

"The checks have increased, including quarantining people at the border if they are symptomatic."

She said most people were following the lockdown rules, and those who were breaking them were not doing so deliberately, which was why police were first talking to people ot make sure they know the rules.

Ardern said the 105 police website was also there for people to dob in others who appeared to be breaking the rules.

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Ardern has been holding regular Facebook live sessions to answer questions from New Zealanders.

Another viewer asked about self-isolation and allowing the "buddy" system for those on their own, and Ardern said people had to be faithful to their bubble buddies.

"You can't be pairing up with different people during this period. That's really key."

Ardern said it was devastating to people who lost loved ones during the lockdown, and she had received messages about funerals that had really "broken my heart", but if people lost someone in their bubble, they could talk to a funeral director about having a service - but not if they lost someone outside the bubble.

She said some stores have been allowed to be open so people could buy essential whiteware and items like heaters and blankets online.

Children in shared custody could also be in the bubbles of their respective parents, she said.

Another reader asked about WOFs, and Ardern said if a WOF expired during the lockdown, it would be deemed current for this period.

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She thanked New Zealanders for their patience.

"I am constantly in awe of the rallying that community members are doing."

She also showed viewers a buzzy bee Hillary Clinton have given to Neve.

She finished by reminding people that they were saving lives by staying at home.