Director-general of health Ashley Bloomfield said two days of no cases is “very encouraging”, but he urged New Zealanders to “stick to the plan”.
“Of course we must stick to the plan – the worst thing we can do is celebrate success early before the full-time whistle blows,” he said.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said achieving zero cases points to the lockdown doing exactly what the government hoped it would do.
She said the virus “has a long tail” and reminds people not to “do anything that snatches our potential victory at this point”.
“Stay home, stay in your bubble, maintain physical distancing,” she said.
Ardern also noted that she had just come from her meeting with the Australian national cabinet about the possibility of a trans-Tasman bubble.
She said she had joined the meeting at its beginning, and it is still underway. A statement will be released at the conclusion of the national cabinet regarding what was discussed in the meeting.
