Lines of anxious shoppers were seen across supermarkets in Auckland today while inside essentials are being ripped off shelves.
Coronavirus chaos lasted well into last night and across the day following the announcement of the first confirmed case on New Zealand shores.
"In Auckland there's a heightened level of public concern and we have seen that playing out in a number of ways," noted Health Director General Ashley Bloomfield.
Kai Luey, a Chinese community group leader, says the community is all a little on edge.
"It seems to be everybody is a little bit apprehensive and we can't blame them because this is the unknown."
Earlier today, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern described the case as "textbook" as the infected person had taken every precaution.
"The person is in a negative pressure room, so the hospitals have well developed and well utilised processes,' explained Medical Officer William Ranger.
The patients condition is stable and said to be improving but now the hunt is on for officials to find the other passengers who had been sitting close by on flight EK450, the Emirates flight from Iran.
The flight manifesto and passenger arrival cards are being used to track them down.
"Those people are required to undertake 14 days of self-isolation from the time the flight arrived," says Bloomfield.
Emirates is moving to assure passengers who are set to be on the plane next that it will be specially cleaned.
From today, those coming from several more countries face extra screening at the border such as travel restrictions from Iran as of today.
"That means we have some of the strictest border controls globally. We have a stricter measure for Australia now," says Ms Ardern.
Many are not buying the assurances from the government as they continue to panic.
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