'Devastating milestone' of country's first Covid-19 death shows importance of taking lockdown seriously - Ardern

March 30, 2020

The PM says the woman’s death reinforces how Kiwis need to abide by the lockdown restrictions.

Less than 24 hours after the country's first death due to coronavirus was announced the Prime Minister is again reiterating how the sad news reinforces the need for all New Zealanders to take the lockdown restrictions seriously.

"For anyone who needed a reminder of why taking extraordinary measures (was needed) this was it," Jacinda Ardern told TVNZ 1's Breakfast today.

"No one wanted that reminder," she said of the death of the woman in her 70s on the West Coast.

"We have to break those chains of transmission and everyone staying at home is how we do that."

New Zealand is currently in the first days of a nationwide level four alert lockdown to try and stop the transmission of Covid-19. This means everyone's required to stay home unless out for exercise locally, shopping for essential items or are an essential worker travelling to work.

The total number of coronavirus cases in New Zealand is 514.


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