New Zealand will remain in a nationwide lockdown until midnight on Tuesday, August 31, when it will move to Alert Level 3.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, in a 3pm press conference, said Alert Level will be reviewed by Cabinet a week later, on Monday, September 6.

But those from the southern Auckland boundary to the top of the country will remain in Alert Level 4 lockdown, with a review on Monday. It is likely to be at least a further two weeks.

There are 70 new community cases of Covid-19 today, all in Auckland.

This brings the total number of cases in the community outbreak to 347, with 333 of them in Auckland and 14 in Wellington.

"We maybe seeing the beginning of a plateau in cases", Ardern said.

Alert Level 3 reminder - what to prepare for Central Otago.

Heightened risk that disease is not contained.

Risk assessment:

• There are multiple cases of community transmission.
• There are multiple active clusters in multiple regions.

Range of measures that can be applied locally or nationally

• Stay home in their bubble other than for essential personal movement, including going to work, school if they have to or for local recreation.
• Physical distancing of two metres outside home or one metre in controlled environments like schools and workplaces.
• Bubbles must stay within their immediate household bubble, but can expand this to reconnect with close family/whānau, or bring in caregivers, or support isolated people. This extended bubble should remain exclusive.
• Schools (years 1 to 10) and Early Childhood Education centres can safely open, but will have limited capacity. Children should learn at home if possible.
• People must work from home unless that is not possible.
• Businesses can not have customers on site, unless it is a supermarket, bank, primary produce retailer, pharmacy, petrol station or hardware store providing goods to trade customers, or it is an emergency or critical situation.
• Other business can open premises, but customers cannot enter.
• Low risk local recreation activities are allowed.
• Public facilities are closed. This includes libraries, museums, cinemas, food courts, gyms, pools, playgrounds, markets.
• Gatherings of up to 10 people are allowed but only for wedding services, funerals and tangihanga. Physical distancing and public health measures must be maintained.
• Healthcare services use virtual, non-contact consultations where possible.
• Inter-regional travel is highly limited to, for example, essential workers, with limited exemptions for others.
• People at high risk of severe illness (older people and those with existing medical conditions) are encouraged to stay at home where possible, and take additional precautions when leaving home. They may choose to work.

The Central App will keep you updated with accurate information via our COVID-19 section, alongside daily news reporting.