The whole of New Zealand will be in alert level 1 from midnight tonight, but masks will be mandatory on public transport for the foreseeable future. 

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern made the announcement this afternoon, and says masks will continue to be mandatory on public transport right across the country.

Uber and taxi drivers will have to wear masks while their passengers will be encouraged to wear one.

Bus drivers will not be asked to require their passengers to wear masks but can encourage them if they wish.

Children under 12 are exempt and masks can be removed for food and drink.

Ardern said she wants to make face masks "part of normal life".

"In terms of the Covid Tracer app - please use it," the PM says.

Jacinda says using it would help prevent an outbreak spread.

Staying at level 1 required all New Zealanders to be vigilant and continue playing their part, she says.

The decisions come after 72,000 tests since last Sunday, with all eight community cases being linked and all their close contacts testing negative.

Arden says the outbreak was a "stark reminder" Covid was still with us.

On the country's COVID-19 vaccine rollout, Jacinda says they expected all frontline border workers to be vaccinated within the next two to three weeks.

There is still no confirmation of the source of the outbreak. All the theories remained "unlikely" but that didn't prevent health chief Ashley Bloomfield from recommending a move to alert level 1.