NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / New Zealand

Covid-19 coronavirus lockdown: Neighbours dobbing in Kiwi rule breakers

RNZ
27 Mar, 2020 07:48 PM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

There have been 83 new cases of Covid-19 confirmed in New Zealand overnight. That brings the total number of cases to 451. 50 people have recovered but 12 people are in hospital.

By RNZ

As people settle into a new way of life in their Covid-19 lockdown bubble it is clear not everyone is following the rules.

Between 11pm Thursday night and 8am Friday morning police received 396 calls relating to Covid-19 and 279 related to self-isolation breaches.

Under lockdown, the government's message is clear - stay at home and if you leave your house to buy food or exercise keep 2 metres away from anyone you see - but not everyone is exercising care.

NeedToKnow3
NeedToKnow3
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

One Whanganui woman, who didn't want to be named, said she saw some concerning behaviour during a short trip to her local pharmacy to pick up prescription medication.

"I noticed groups of families down at the local school running around and so on. Are people taking this lockdown seriously?

She said the streets were deserted - a clear message to anyone behaving normally that the country was in lockdown.

Hamish Oliver in Christchurch said not everyone in his South Island community was policing themselves and people were searching for exceptions to the rule - some in his neighbourhood had been arranging 'drinks on the driveway'.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Civil Defence Emergency Management director Sarah Stuart-Black said police were reporting that people were generally doing the right thing but people must be thinking about how them staying home could make a difference.

"There were some isolated incidents reports of people congregating, these people were spoken to and provided with some advice about what the restrictions mean."

Stuart-Black said she was under no illusions the restrictions were a dramatic and sudden shift in people's way of life but staying at home was the best way to break the chain.

She said people should think twice about whether they needed to drive to locations for exercise.

Discover more

World

Italy's virus deaths spike by 969 - its biggest one-day tally yet

27 Mar 07:06 PM
New Zealand

Lotto draws continue during lockdown

27 Mar 07:17 PM
New Zealand

South Island communities rally for those in need during lockdown

27 Mar 07:36 PM
New Zealand

Kiwis stuck on cruise ship to disembark and fly home

27 Mar 07:49 PM

READ MORE:
• Covid 19 coronavirus: 85 new cases in NZ, rules for leaving the house clarified
• Covid 19 coronavirus: How will New Zealand's lockdown change Kiwis?
• Covid 19 coronavirus: Jacinda Ardern's lockdown message - don't head to the beach (like the Aussies)
• Covid 19 coronavirus: Young Kiwi woman only had one symptom

"I think the key message is 'stay local'. If you can go for a walk by going right outside your front door, great, if you have to drive a short distance, that's fine too, the challenge we have is when people might drive themselves to a place that if they get into trouble, someone else might have to come and help them which exposes more risk."

She said the same applied to people who fancied a surf or swim - people must avoid activities that could put others at risk.

Those over 70 or immunocompromised are encouraged to leave the house for exercise but should follow social distancing like everyone else.

Overall, the advice is simple: stay home, and if you leave your house: stay local.

Act like you have Covid-19 and stick to your bubble - staying 2 metres away from those outside it when you do step outside to exercise.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

• Covid19.govt.nz: The Government's official Covid-19 advisory website

If I wanted to visit the beach this weekend could I?

Yes, if you could walk there you can. Otherwise no, you'll have to find something else to do.

Can I kick a ball around at my local park with people in my bubble? For how long?

No, you cannot. Do it in your own backyard or in the house.

Can I drive to a forest track for a hike if no one else is there?

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Again this is a no. If you went for a bushwalk and got into trouble, emergency services would likely be called out and then you will have popped their bubble. Also, DOC facilities are all closed so overnight tramps are also off-limits.

Can I go surfing?

No, and you can't go kayaking or boating either. Again, if you get into trouble, then you risk popping the bubble of people working in essential services like the coastguard.

Can I do gardening?

If it is your own garden, go for gold. But you can't go to the plant shop, so you will need to get creative with what you've got at home.

- RNZ

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

Latest from New Zealand

Herald NOW

What to expect from the weather over Matariki weekend

New Zealand

One dead in Marlborough crash

18 Jun 07:55 PM
Politics

New Zealand pauses Cook Islands funding over China deal stoush

18 Jun 07:51 PM

Jono and Ben brew up a tea-fuelled adventure in Sri Lanka

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from New Zealand

What to expect from the weather over Matariki weekend

What to expect from the weather over Matariki weekend

MetService's Heather Keats gives Ryan the lowdown for the long weekend's weather, and how to spot the Matariki star cluster. Video / Herald NOW

One dead in Marlborough crash

One dead in Marlborough crash

18 Jun 07:55 PM
New Zealand pauses Cook Islands funding over China deal stoush

New Zealand pauses Cook Islands funding over China deal stoush

18 Jun 07:51 PM
Premium
Publican on rugby, running 'tough' bars, and the night he sold 85 kegs of Guinness

Publican on rugby, running 'tough' bars, and the night he sold 85 kegs of Guinness

18 Jun 07:32 PM
Help for those helping hardest-hit
sponsored

Help for those helping hardest-hit

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP