We need your support to protect New Zealand and eradicate COVID-19. Enforcement measures may be used to ensure everyone acts together, now.
Don’t worry, during this time, you will be able to access all the essentials you need, including medicine, food and other home supplies.
If you’re not sure what assistance may be available, don’t know who to contact for help, call the free government helpline on 0800 779 997 (8am–1am, 7 days a week).
For advice and support for essential businesses please contact 0800 22 66 57 (9am–5pm, Monday–Friday).
Only businesses that are essential may remain open during the Level 4 Alert period. If a business isn’t sure if it provides services or products which qualify as essential, it should close.
Find out more about essential businesses
If you are a business or worker in a non-essential business, you may still work – as long as this is from home. If you cannot work remotely, you must stay home.
The Government is acting to support all people in New Zealand through these changes. This includes:
Your usual financial support, such as benefits, will continue.
Find out more about COVID-19 support, including how to apply, on the Work and Income website(external link).
All indoor and outdoor events cannot proceed.
This does not include workplaces of people undertaking essential businesses.
These requirements apply to family and social gatherings such as birthdays and weddings. These gatherings cannot go ahead.
We are asking you only spend time with those who you are in self-isolation with, and keep your distance from all others at all times.
Funeral directors provide essential services and will continue working during Level 4. However, gathering together for funerals and tangi is not permitted while New Zealand is at Alert Level 4.
This may be a challenging time for you and your family. If you ever feel you are not coping, it is important to talk with a health professional. For support, you can call or text 1737 – free, anytime, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week – to talk with a trained counsellor.
Find out more about funerals and tangi.
All schools and early childhood education centres will be closed.
Schools will be providing information directly to all parents about what this means for them.
The upcoming school term break will be brought forward to start on Monday, 30 March. For the remainder of this week and through the term break, schools will establish ways to deliver teaching online and remotely.
Where possible, essential workers with children aged 0–14 need to make their own arrangements for childcare. We know this will not be possible for everyone.
Alternative arrangements are in place to allow essential workers to access childcare and continue to work.
Your employer will tell you if you qualify as an essential worker for these purposes.
Health and medical facilities are essential services and will remain open while we are at Alert Level 4.
Just because you have to stay home doesn't mean you can't get medical help if you need it. This includes healthcare services, such as Healthline, GPs, cancer services, disability and aged support services.
The way these services operate might change, for example your GP might be talking to you over the phone rather than seeing you in person.
The health system will continue to provide the necessities of life for all people in New Zealand.
If you need to see a doctor or other medical professional you MUST phone first.
Most consultations will happen over the phone (or by videoconference) to stop any risk of COVID-19 spreading by person to person contact.
If a face-to-face meeting is required, your doctor or other medical professional will organise this with you.
Please only call Healthline if you or someone you know feels unwell or you need medical advice, rather than general questions about COVID-19. It's important Healthline is able to answer calls from those who need medical advice. The more people who call asking for general information, the fewer people who need medical advice can get through.
If you cannot get through and are severely unwell, for example having trouble breathing, contact emergency services (dial 111).
Further advice on how to access healthcare
You may not fly within New Zealand.
You may use a private vehicle to get food or medicine.
Using private vehicles for transport is allowed. Where possible, practice physical distancing.
Personal walks and other active travel like biking, is fine, provided you follow the 2-metre physical distancing requirement at all times.
Visitors and tourists can still use international air services to travel home but commercial flights have been impacted.
Do not go to the airport unless you have a ticket. If you do not have ticket contact a travel agent or airline directly. If you are unable to secure a ticket please contact your country embassy.
While in Alert Level 4, air travel will be used only for the transport of people undertaking essential services and the transport of freight.
Vulnerable people in particular should stay at home, and ask others to pick up supplies for them. You just need to ask them to leave these at the door, rather than come in. Drop-offs at the door (rather than coming in) will protect vulnerable people from exposure to COVID-19.
You are at high-risk if you are over 70, have a compromised immune system or have underlying health conditions.
People with underlying medical conditions include a compromised immune system, liver disease, cancer, kidney disease, heart disease and diabetes mellitus, pregnant people or those on immunosuppressant medications.
You need to take more precautions to protect yourself against all infections, including COVID-19.
More information for vulnerable and at risk groups