Finance Minister Grant Robertson has reminded New Zealand that just because the level 3 lockdown guidelines were announced yesterday, it did not mean the public could start behaving like the country was in a lower level.
As Covid-19 spreads around the world, it can be daunting keeping up with the information. For RNZ, our responsibility is to give you verified, up to the minute, trustworthy information to help you make decisions about your lives and your health. We'll also be asking questions of officials and decision makers about how they're responding to the virus. Our aim is to keep you informed.
Minister of Finance Grant Robertson speaking at the briefing for a Covid-19 daily update on 17 April, 2020. Photo: Pool / NZME
"This is a long game," said Robertson at a media conference this afternoon, "a marathon, not a short sprint."
He said the Wage Subsidy Scheme had paid out $9.9 billion since it was set up on 17 March.
Robertson said Cabinet had not made its decision yet on what level New Zealand will be in once the four weeks is up, as it is was still waiting on more data before making its decision.
*See all RNZ coverage of Covid-19
Follow all the day's devlopments with RNZ's live blog here: