Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says the battle against Covid-19 hasn't yet ended despite the country transitioning to Alert Level 3 later tonight.
That could mean an extension of Alert Level 3, which NZ will be in for at least two weeks from tomorrow.
"I will not risk the gains we made in the health of New Zealanders. If we do need to remain at Level 3, we will," Ms Ardern said.
"Our priority, as its been over these recent weeks, is the health of New Zealanders because that is also how we can protect livelihoods."
However, she said she understood people wanted to return to their normal lives as soon as possible.
The Prime Minister thanked the Director-General of Health and his team for leading the country’s response against the virus.
After two weeks at Level 3, Cabinet will meet to make a decision about the nation's next move on May 11.
"I am optimistic that we can continue on a path of success," Ms Ardern said.
As people come out of their bubbles in Alert Level 3, tracing cases becomes more difficult.
People returning to work are asked to keep distance, and anyone who can work or learn at home should do so.
Ms Ardern also praised New Zealanders for their efforts to stamp out the virus so far.
The PM said not being able farewell loved ones has been one of the toughest part of the Level 4 lockdown.
She said the nation has the capacity for up to 8000 tests a day - one of the highest in the world - yet numbers of positive tests remain low, with just one today, providing strong evidence there is not widespread transmission.
The number of new cases announced has been sitting in the single digits for days now.
"It is worth pausing to digest those numbers, they are incredible and they are thanks to the sacrifices that every single New Zealander has made," Ms Ardern said.
Prior to the lockdown, modelling showed numbers of cases could have been up to 1000 new cases a day, she said.
"We will never know what would've actually have happened without our Level Four restrictions but we can look overseas and see that this devastating scenario has played out in many other countries. Through our cumulative actions we have avoided the worst.
"Tragically, what we haven't been able to stop is the loss of 19 New Zealanders to Covid-19."
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