The hospital should never have carried out the surgery as it wasn't properly equipped.

Focus: Spark Arena has been transformed by Auckland Council into a food distribution centre for Aucklanders in need due to job losses and financial hardship as a result of Covid-19. Video / RNZ

New Zealand has 54 new coronavirus cases today. The new cases are made up of 32 confirmed cases and 22 probable cases. It brings the total number of cases to 1160.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the Government cannot afford massive disruption to the health case system. "He broke the rules, and he needs to pay a price."

Bloomfield said the definition of "coronavirus elimination" was getting down to a small number of cases that can be stamped out with rapid identification, isolation and contact-tracing.

PM Jacinda Ardern said the four week lockdown allowed health authorities to see where the spread had happened but should have stopped further transmissions. It would be four weeks minimum, she said.

New Zealand has 67 new cases of Covid-19 - bringing the total number of cases to 1106. There are 13 people in hospital including three in ICU, one of whom is critical.

Dr David Hepburn from Royal Gwent Hospital explains how a person can die from coronavirus. Video / Channel 4 News

There are 89 new cases of coronavirus in New Zealand, Director General of Health Ashley Bloomfield says. It brings the total number of cases since the pandemic began to 1039.

Mysterious disappearance of hit social media sign triggers investigation.

Aucklanders tempted to flout lockdown laws were met with heavy police presence.

It's official: Swimming, surfing and hunting are illegal during the lockdown.

A man has claimed he was only pranking shoppers, after coughing and sneezing on them.

There are 52 confirmed with 30 probable cases of Covid-19, Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield says. That brings the total number of confirmed and probable cases in New Zealand to 950.

Focus Live: Professor John Edmunds warns that 25,000 kiwis could die if lockdown ends without a vaccine.

North Shore Hospital has converted an entire elective surgery building into Covid-19 unit to best prepare for an outbreak and also manage those needing urgent or emergency medical care. Video / Supplied

Cases have levelled off in an early sign the lockdown appears to be working.

The 342-seat Air NZ charter jet has just taken off bound for Frankfurt.

Auckland moggy suffers from two horrific acts of human cruelty just one year apart.

Top epidemiologist Ben Cowling says health workers should get priority for masks.

Columnist and GP Gary Payinda answers questions about looking after yourself.

New Zealanders have locked down in a bid to lock out Covid-19. A look back at the country's first week of national lockdown. Video / NZ Herald

Authorities say infections likely occurred outside work and hospitals safe to attend.

There are 89 new cases of coronavirus in New Zealand - the most recorded in a single day so far, Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield says.

Ardern said the 61 new cases today seemed "heartening" on the face of it, but she said it was too early to say if the lockdown was slowing transmission. Transmission in the community prior to the lockdown may yet be "rearing its head".

There are 61 new Covid-19 cases in New Zealand. That makes a total of 708 confirmed and probable cases with 14 people in hospital.

Some general practices had warned they would go out of business this week.

Vaccination is a priority even during lockdown, immunisation expert says.

Matamata's Redoubt Bar was identified as a super-spreader event and lead to 77 cases, including one death, since mid-March. Video / Alan Gibson

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is setting up a website for Kiwi to raise concerns about supermarket price rises during the coronavirus lockdown.