Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern addressed the nation at midday today (Saturday March 21), outlining a four-level alert system for the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Ministry of Health has announced that 14 new cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed, including two which have no direct link to travel, suggesting that community transmission cannot be ruled out.

None of the new cases, which bring New Zealand’s total of confirmed cases to 53, are in the Southern district.

“We are experiencing an unprecedented event, a global pandemic,” the PM said, and we must focus on one simple goal: to slow down COVID-19.

While the PM reiterated that the “vast majority of people” who contract the virus will experience mild to moderate symptoms, she outlined what people can expect as New Zealand focuses on trying to slow down COVID-19 so that groups of cases can be managed to reduce the effect on our health, jobs, and economy.

NZ is currently at alert level two, the PM said, where the risk of community transmission is growing.

“We need to step things up,” she said. The new measures announced were: asking people over 70-years-old or people who have compromised immunity or underlying respiratory conditions to stay at home as much as they can; and asking people to limit their movement around the country by cutting non-essential domestic travel.

“We ask people to work differently if they can,” she said, citing working from home, staggered meal breaks, and shift-based work. For those who cannot do that, additional cleaning and physical distancing at workplaces is required.

Schools will be closed only if there is a case that affects a school, the PM said.

“We are constantly monitoring these settings to keep schools and children safe.”

The new alert system for COVID 19 comprises four levels:

Level one: The virus is contained. Preparation includes border measures, contact tracing, and cancellation of mass gatherings.

Level two: The virus is contained but the risks are growing because we have more cases. At this level people are asked to reduce our contacts; the government increases border measures, cancels events, and asks people to work differently and restrict travel.

Level three: The disease is increasingly difficult to contain, public venues are closed and the government asks non-essential businesses to close.

Level four: Sustained transmission of the virus; we limit contact with each other altogether and people are asked to stay at home.

The PM emphasised that at every level supermarkets and essential services like access to pharmaceuticals will continue. “Shop normally,” she said.

“We will use this alert system every time we update cases so you’ll know if the status in your area has gone up or down and what you should do,” the PM said.

The PM said people should go to this website for accurate and up-to-date information on the pandemic.

PHOTO: Supplied