Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has dismissed speculation on social media that the Government is poised to announce a total lockdown across the country to combat coronavirus. You can trust us as a source of that information," Ardern told reporters in Rotorua this afternoon. The Prime Minister, who flew to Rotorua today on an Air Force plane, emphasised the importance of social distancing and the need to take it "really seriously". "Part of moving early is making sure everyone is prepared, prepared if you need to work from home, prepared if you need to cancel social events ... "What we've been basing everything we've been doing is around the public health advice around the ability to do contact tracing."

Source: Otago Daily Times March 18, 2020 23:48 UTC