Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has asked businesses nationwide to begin planning for how they will operate under the various Alert Level restrictions once the Level 4 stay at home notice is lifted.

Yesterday’s briefing had a distinct air of positivity as she revealed the number of cases reported daily has remained relatively steady and New Zealand had not recorded the “exponential growth that others have – the kind that that leads ultimately to an overwhelmed health system”.

That was a good thing but what was needed now was to see those numbers, over time, start to come down, she said.

“What we have done as a country, since the very beginning of COVID-19, is making a difference.”

Modelling over the past few weeks had been accurate at several points in predicting New Zealand’s case numbers, Ms Ardern said. On the eve of the lockdown that modelling predicted the potential for New Zealand to have reached 4000 cases by this past weekend.

“We’re, instead, at just over 1000. Those 3000 fewer cases shows the difference that cumulative action can make – 3000 fewer people sick with COVID-19, 3000 fewer people passing the virus on to others and then to others and then to others.”

New Zealand’s case rate and death toll were well below other comparable countries.

“We had the benefit of a window of opportunity. We had the benefit of witnessing a terrible trajectory overseas. You can see now just how small that window of opportunity is to try and stop community transmission… the lockdown is the best way to stop the virus and it is also the best thing for our economy by making the pain as short as possible.”

Ms Ardern said a lot of rumours were circulating about a potential extension to the Level 4 restrictions but she stressed no decisions had been taken.

“We have to rely on the most up-to-date data that we have and we’re not at a point yet where we can see the full impacts of Alert Level 4, let alone make that determinations. But what I can say is that the more people comply, the more likely it is that we’ll be able to come out at the time that we’ve said.”

There may also be circumstances where certain regions, depending on what was happening with cases and clusters, may stay in Level 4 longer than others.

“But, again, it all rests on our ability to wrest control back over COVID-19.”

Now was the time to remain focused and not let up, she said. That was not to say there was not pain being experienced.

“For those who have lost jobs, for business that have made difficult decisions and for those essential services providing the frontline support networks we all rely on, I know there is a very real and genuine struggle in New Zealand right now and I don’t carry that lightly.”

She acknowledged that New Zealand businesses were also likely to feel the long-term effects of a global downturn and she urged them try and hold on to their employees and make use of the wage subsidy programme if needed.

“Have a plan for coming out the other side. In particular, plan for how your business will operate in different levels of the Alert framework,” she said.

“I ask all businesses, have a look at the Alert Level framework, think about how your business could successfully operate within each, keeping in mind we will need to, for many months to come, be able to contract-trace all New Zealanders who come in contact with one another and workplaces have a role to play in that.”