SCHOOLS AND UNIVERSITIES
Schools and early educations centres have been ordered to close to most students from Monday afternoon, with only the children of essential workers still able to attend school until the end of Wednesday.
Doctors, nurses, ambulance officers and police officers are considered essential workers who can send their children to school until Wednesday.
From Wednesday midnight, schools will be closed for at least four weeks. While the school holidays will be brought forward to be captured in this month-long closure, student will be sent home with distance learning work.
But it's acknowledged that distance learning will be hard for many students. Education Minister Chris Hipkins said there were equity issues for about 20 per cent of school children, who lacked broadband internet or devices to access the web.
"We're looking how quickly we could deal with those equity issues so that if we do end up in a period where kids need to be learning from home for longer then we can respond," Hipkins said.
Universities will close, effective immediately. Many universities have already began holding virtual lectures, for students now learning from home.
Students wishing to return to their home cities have 48 before the closure of airplanes, ferries, and other public transport.
Should the NZ be part of the US lead multi-national space operation ?
AM I AN ESSENTIAL WORKER?
Supermarket workers, pharmacists, teachers, doctors and nurses, ambulance officers, and police officers are all counted as essential workers.
A list of essential workers, found on the government's Covid-19 website, also includes accommodation providers that are required for people in self-isolation or quarantine, staff at the border, and people working in courts and the justice system.
Building and construction workers will carry on working on essential services , critical services, or in cases where they're needed to maintain human health or safety.
Meaning if your roof is taken off by a gust of wind, a builder would presumably be allowed to fix it. Electricians, telco workers, internet providers, and the media will still be able to go to work.
Freight and courier drivers are also considered essential workers as they transport and deliver food.
But this doesn't guarantee you will have online shopping delivered, as the company you buy goods from might not have staff sending out packages.
Local and central government workers at key agencies and those involved in the Covid-19 response can still go to work. So too will New Zealand's spies, scientists involved in tackling Covid-19, and charity workers who are helping the needy.
Primary industry workers - which includes food production, packaging, and processing - are considered essential workers. So too are vets.
Food distributors, such as supermarkets, will be expected to keep showing up to work. Takeaway shops will be closed.
Employees who continue to work in shared spaces are asked to work in shifts stagger meal breaks and maintain social distance from one another.
BUYING GROCERIES
Supermarkets and pharmacies will remain open throughout the month-long shut down. Within an hour of the announced lockdown, queues were already forming at supermarkets around the country.
But Ardern and government officials continue to issue the same advice: Don't panic buy.
"If you do not have immediate needs, do not go to the supermarket ... there will be enough for everyone if we shop normally," Ardern said on Monday.
Supermarkets are not expected to become the community's social hub, however. Social distancing should be practised.
Entry to supermarkets may be managed by police if people do not show restraint.
"I hope we don't get to that point," Ombler, the government controller, said.
A person is tested for Covid-19 in Nelson.
BUSINESSES CLOSING
Non-essential businesses will be closing. This means bars, cafes, gyms, cinemas, and public facilities likes pools, museums and libraries will be closed for at least four weeks.
The definition a non-essential business or public place is broad, any place "where the public congregate must close their face to face function".
There has been a warning, if the order is flouted, enforcement measures may be used.
DOMESTIC TRAVEL
Airplanes, ferries, and public transport including trains and buses will not be available to the general public after midnight Wednesday.
While some services may continue to transport essential workers to their jobs, and freight around the country, by-and-large movement will be extremely limited.
Meaning, if you're currently away from home, you have 48 hours to get in a car, or on an aircraft, which should have fewer available seats than usual due to social distancing.
Visitors and tourists in New Zealand will be able to buy a ticket to leave the country, but should not show up at an airport without a booking.
People who are feeling unwell, particularly people with flu-like symptoms, are asked not to travel at all.
You can still leave home in a car, of course. Ardern said people will be expected to stay local when leaving the home, whether going for a walk or shopping at the supermarket.
Air travel
Air New Zealand will increase domestic flight capacity to allow people to get home before a country-wide lockdown to limit the spread of coronavirus starts on Wednesday.
The airline made the announcement following the prime minister's address on Monday. More information would be made available in the coming hours, it said.
If travellers were feeling unwell, particularly with a cough, shortness of breath or fever, or sneezing or have a runny nose, the Government urged them not to travel.
After Wednesday - once the alert level 4 lockdown is in place - the only internal flights available will be for freight or people working in essential services .
Visitors and tourists can use domestic air travel to proceed to an international airport to reach international airlines to travel home. Others will not be able to fly.
But the Government is warning travellers not to go to the airport unless they have a ticket. Instead, travellers should contact a travel agent or airline directly, or contact their country's embassy.
Meanwhile, Air New Zealand said it would endeavour to operate its current schedule as planned until at least the end of the week.
Public transport and car travel
Public transport will only be available for those working in essential services, for medical reasons and to get to the supermarket.
Ferry services, road and rail will still be available for the transport of essential goods.
Driving in private vehicles is allowed, but where possible people must practice physical distancing.
Personal walks and other active travel is allowed, provided the two-metre physical distancing requirement is adhered to at all times.
InterCity Buses would still be operating but warned people over the age of 70, or with underlying conditions, not travel on its services.
Ardern told the country roadworks would not be put in place to prevent people travelling to different regions.
People with any Covid-19-related issues who must travel are required to use private transport. If that's not possible, they should call the Healthline (0800 358 5453) for advice.
Trains
KiwiRail has already suspended its three tourist trains as part of the response to the virus.
On Sunday, KiwiRail group chief executive Greg Miller said the Monday TranzAlpine, Northern Explorer and Coastal Pacific trains had been cancelled, and the services would be suspended until further notice.
"The decision is in line with the Government policy of limiting non-essential travel around New Zealand."
Full refunds will be available for impacted customers where we have cancelled services, he said.
However, the Capital Connection service, a commuter service that runs weekdays between Palmerston North and Wellington, would continue to operate because of the role it plays in public transport.
Ferry services
On Sunday, KiwiRail also made changes to its Interislander ferry service due to the coronavirus outbreak.
It had already reduced the passenger limit numbers on each sailing in order to allow for physical distancing.
From Monday, the Aratere would become a freight-only service, including rail freight and commercial vehicles, until the end of June.
"This move will help ensure resilience in shifting freight across Cook Strait," Miller said.
Affected passengers have been transferred to the Kaiarahi or Kaitaki, which would continue to operate passenger and commercial vehicle services.
"KiwiRail is committed to ensuring that Interislander remains operational, as a crucial transport link between the North and South Islands," Miller said.
"These are unprecedented times for our business and for New Zealand as a whole. We thank our customers and the public for their patience during this period of uncertainty."
WILL THERE BE SOLDIERS IN THE STREET?
Maybe. You can expect police, and possibly the Defence Force, to enforce the shut down in the coming month.
"Failure to play your part in the coming days will put the lives of others at risk. There will be no tolerance for that and we will not hesitate in using enforcement powers if needed," Ardern said.
Police officers will be visible on the streets almost immediately , Commissioner Mike Bush said. Again, it was hoped the rules wouldn't have to be enforced, "but we will when required".
"Our first role is to encourage and educate, but if people don't comply, we'll be looking to enforce," he said. There are many laws which people could be charged under, including the Health Act.
The Defence Force may deploy to assist, he said.
As the shut down affectively means the country is in a state of national emergency, Civil Defence will have powers to shut roads or public places, create roadblocks, and take control of buildings to store food or fuel supplies.
The police and defence force soldiers could man roadblocks. Ombler, the government controller, said there may be soldiers on the streets if this was decided to be necessary.
"I can't imagine that New Zealanders won't see this is the right thing to do ... If we have to use those powers I will be disappointed.
"For a level of comfort, I would be happy to see them there. If it got to the enforcement side, I'd be disappointed, but I wouldn't rule it out."
WHEN WILL NEW ZEALAND OPEN AGAIN?
Currently, the answer is in four weeks time. But this will depend on how the virus spreads.
Ardern said the restrictions would lift if the country had been successful in reducing transmission of Covid-19.
"If we haven't, we'll find ourselves living with them for longer. That's why sticking to the rules matters."
