Hundreds of complaints over businesses flouting rules

There have been 104 breaches of Alert Level 3 so far, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says.

Twenty-one people have been prosecuted, 71 warnings issued, and 742 complaints were laid about businesses flouting the rules, mainly about a lack of physical distancing.

• Two new Covid-19 cases

Ms Ardern said she had seen photos of people congregating, and government officials had reached out to businesses to help them stop such congregations.

The rules of Alert Level 3 would be enforced, she said.

Ms Ardern said she had seen photos of people congregating at a Burger Fuel outlet in Auckland.

"We have had confirmation from officials this morning they have been directly in contact with the head office of that operation."

Ms Ardern said the Auckland Burger Fuel outlet was clearly failing to keep people physically distant last night.

Director-general of Health Ashley Bloomfield said it was crucial that people maintained physical distancing, hand hygiene and not going out if unwell.

There had been large groups of people congregating outside businesses, and he asked those businesses to consider how to maintain physical distancing.

Non-compliant premises can still be closed, Dr Bloomfield said.

"Overall the message is the same. Stay home, save lives."

Shutting NZ's borders

Asked about the Health Ministry's suggestion to close the borders entirely, Ms Ardern said it was not tolerable to prevent New Zealanders from coming home.

Dr Bloomfield said the advice was based on the need to close the border before a secure system to quarantine people was in place

But he added that such a system was put in place quickly.

Ms Ardern said that system to quarantine people arriving from overseas was now working well.

Dr Bloomfield said he was not disappointed that Cabinet had rejected the ministry's advice, and the overall low numbers today showed that the approach had been successful.

"We've been successful. Cabinet's decision was made with the expectation that we manage the risks at the border," Dr Bloomfield said.

Ms Ardern said it would have been an "extraordinary" move to strand Kiwis overseas in places where their presence in overseas countries may have been illegal.

Dr Bloomfield said the ministry's advice was based on a public health perspective, which considered it "ideal" to close the border to all people.

Ms Ardern said Cabinet considered the ministry's advice before the Level 4 lockdown.

Ms Ardern said the quarantine system was proving its worth, with about 25 people testing positive for Covid-19 while being isolated.

Health Minister moves house

Ms Ardern was asked about Health Minister David Clark and reports that he had been moving house in Dunedin during the lockdown.

Dr Clark has said that he was using his old house as a workplace, and had walked boxes to his new house which was on the same road as his old house.

He said he had not broken any rules and had used his previous house as a work office while the country was under level 4 restrictions.

"I moved house, using the services of a moving company, on the Wednesday immediately before the level 4 lockdown began," he said in a statement yesterday.

"During lockdown I used my old house as my office and occasionally walked the odd item or box back with me, as is within the rules."

Ms Ardern said Dr Clark, who has already been criticised for breaking the lockdown rules by driving his family to the beach, had not broken the rules in this instance.

"I will not hesitate to act when it comes to a minister who I believe warrants an action against them," Ardern said.

"In this case I do not believe that is the case, based one what I've been advised."