Covid 19 coronavirus: Lotto to be drawn tomorrow ahead of lockdown but future uncertain

New Zealand entering alert level four could spill the end of Lotto for at least four weeks. Photo / Supplied

The future of Lotto is uncertain as New Zealand prepares to enter nationwide lockdown to try and combat the spread of coronavirus.

However, the live draw for Lotto, Powerball and Strike will go ahead tomorrow night as usual, spokeswoman Marie Winfield told the Herald.

"We are still working through the impact of alert level 4 and will provide an update in the next 24 hours."

The draw tomorrow night for Powerball is a grand total of $6 million, with Lotto worth $1m and Strike $200,000.

From tomorrow night, New Zealand will enter a nationwide lockdown for at least four weeks, the Prime Minister announced yesterday.

There were 40 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the country as of 10am today, along with three probable cases.

The nationwide total for confirmed and probable coronavirus cases was 155, Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield said.

However, 12 people had recovered from the potentially deadly virus.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern called for New Zealand to shop normally ahead of the lockdown tomorrow, but her plea fell on deaf ears.

Supermarkets, butcheries, pharmacies and liquor stores throughout the country had been inundated with people.

It prompted the alcohol industry to also call for calm as bottle stores had been swamped with panic-buyers ahead of the lockdown.

One bottle store chain reported an 1800 per cent spike sales yesterday, New Zealand Alcohol Beverages Council executive director Bridget MacDonald said.

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

One outlet also reported a 10-fold increase in trade with spirits under significant demand as they would not be available in supermarkets.

"It is unprecedented," MacDonald said. "It's significantly busier than Christmas.

"We understand that consumers want to ensure they have stocks in hand for the four week isolation period, but a rush on product is not going to help anyone."

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