New Zealand

Earlier today, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern confirmed the country would go into alert level four - and a full national lockdown - in the next 48 hours.

All of Government Controller John Ombler addressed a media conference, along with other key personnel involved in the response.

Ombler said it was clear there would be significant disruption to everyone, "but the alternative would be far worse".

"I'm confident that this all of government leadership is the best way to support the community.

"These are restrictions to save lives."

More than half are directly related to overseas travel, Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield said.

"So these are people who have returned to New Zealand recently and have become symptomatic, been tested and confirmed as cases of Covid-19. Most of the remaining cases are close contacts of a previously confirmed case or are associated with an event where there were confirmed cases already, for example, the Hereford Cattle conference in Queenstown."

The new cases bring the total to 53 confirmed, and four probable.

The locations of the new cases are; four in Wellington, one in Taranaki, three in Auckland, one in Waikato, one in Taupō, one in Manawatu and two in Nelson.

Three of NZ's confirmed cases are in hospital and all are a stable condition.

One man in his 60s is in Lakes District Hospital in Queenstown, a woman is in hospital in Nelson and another person is in North Shore Hospital.

It brings the total of confirmed cases in New Zealand to 20.

Speaking at the latest media conference, Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield said there are four new cases in Auckland, one in Christchurch, two in Waikato and one in Invercargill.

Some of the new cases have come from Europe, Australia and the USA.

He said details for each of these cases, including flight information, will be revealed on the Ministry of Health website "in the near future".

Speaking to reporters on Sunday afternoon, Director General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield confirmed the latest cases are both foreign nationals - from Australia and Denmark.

Dr Bloomfield said both those people are in isolation.

"A man in his 60s visiting from Australia prior to flying to New Zealand, has now been confirmed as positive by the Australian authorities," the Ministry of Health said in a statement.

Cricket Australia (CA) confirmed that fans will not be allowed into grounds to watch the three-match series, which starts on Friday at the SCG.

Ticket-holders will be given a full refund with no decision yet made over Australia's upcoming three-match Twenty20 international tour of New Zealand.

"Cricket Australia will continue to monitor the coronavirus situation at home and overseas before making a decision on Australian men's international matches beyond the Australian leg of the ODI tournament," said a statement.

New Zealand led 1-nil for much of the match after Olivia Chance scored late in the first half with Belgium scoring the equaliser with only minutes remaining.

The Football Ferns were reduced to ten players midway through the second half after defender Claudia Bunge was sent off after receiving a second yellow card.

New Zealand won the shoot-out 7-6 and will now play either Portugal or Italy in the semi-finals.

Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield told Morning Report he got a report of a third positive test yesterday evening.

"We're getting all the information together and we'll update everybody at the same time at the update this afternoon," Bloomfield said.

He said the positive Covid-19 result was not of the partner of the Auckland woman who tested positive on Tuesday.

"The swab for the partner of the second case is being processed today, so the positive result we received last night is a different case."

The World Health Organisation said on its website that a second New Zealand case had been confirmed.

The Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield said the citizen is a woman in her 30s who had recently returned from a trip to Italy.

The positive test result was formally reported to the ministry at about 6pm yesterday. At that point, health authorities began notifying the woman and her family and started the process of contact tracing.

The woman returned on an Air New Zealand flight NZ0283, from Singapore to Auckland on 25 February.

The Ministry of Health said the tests were mainly precautionary and not necessarily suspected cases of coronavirus.

A total of 122 tests have been done across three laboratories In Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington.

All have returned negative results.

Health officials have urged people to get winter flu vaccines this year. The Ministry of Health said the flu shot would not stop people getting Covid-19, but it would help prevent them getting seriously ill.