Level 3

Auckland moves to alert level 3, rest of New Zealand to level 2

The move was announced by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern tonight after a family of three living in the South Auckland suburb of Papatoetoe tested positive for Covid-19.

They are the country's first cases of community transmission since late January when a returned traveller in Northland tested positive after leaving quarantine.

Ardern said the alert change came out of an abundance of caution and would be reviewed every 24 hours.