With the Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak now officially a pandemic the Health Minister says while the World Health Organization's declaration "doesn't change anything", Kiwis should still be vigilant amid the outbreak.
This morning WHO's Director-General of Health, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus officially declared the worldwide coronavirus outbreak a pandemic.
More than 118,000 people have been diagnosed with Covid-19 worldwide since the outbreak began late last year, including five people in New Zealand.
Speaking to TVNZ 1's Breakfast today Health Minister Dr David Clark says the pandemic declaration "doesn't change anything".
“The World Health Organisation has said actually, this doesn’t change anything in terms of their response," Dr Clark said.
"Our Director-General of Health in New Zealand has been saying for some time, this is a pandemic in all but name, so in some sense, it doesn’t change anything.
Dr Clark said it does though highlight the importance of New Zealand's public health response and the importance of Kiwis taking responsibility for their own health, amid the outbreak.
"We’ve been operating off our pandemic plan since early January, but what it does do, I think, is highlight the seriousness with which the world is taking this and the importance of the public health response, and people taking responsibility for their own health, being more health-conscious.”
Yesterday Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced travellers from anywhere in Italy coming into New Zealand will need to go into self-isolation for 14 days, the same requirements for people entering the country from South Korea.
There are currently travel bans in place for people from Iran and mainland China.
Today Dr Clark said the Government is "reviewing daily advice around [New Zealand's] borders.
"We will take further action if we get advice, that will be in New Zealanders best interests," Dr Clark said.
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