Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has called for people not to attend tangis, or funerals, to avoid creating "grief on grief" amid the coronavirus pandemic.
New Zealand so far has 589 confirmed and probable cases of Covid-19, after 75 new cases were confirmed by Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield today.
Sixty-three people have since recovered from the respiratory illness.
"I understand how deeply distressing this is," Ms Ardern said in a press conference today.
Dr Ashley Bloomfield provided the latest figures on Monday
"I cannot imagine right now being in a situation of losing a loved one and not being able to grieve for them in the way that would be traditional for my family or for whānau."
Marae, funeral directors and grieving whānau are all coming to terms with the new rules.
The Prime Minister said while she "felt that distress" of the tangi guidelines, the nationwide lockdown rules must be enforced to avoid further spread.
"I know how hard it is, what we're asking people to do, but that is the exact kind of place where we can see this virus spread, and the last thing I want is grief on grief."
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