Central Otago businesses can continue to claim the wage subsidy while Auckland is at Alert Level 4 and 3. 

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern clarified the rules around support for businesses earlier this week, as most of the country moved down to Alert Level 2 on Tuesday night. 

"All businesses remain eligible to apply for the wage subsidy so long as any part of the country is in level three or four," she said. 

"So, that means, for instance, a business in Queenstown, which is in level two, can still apply. 

"You still need to meet the eligibility criteria of a 40% decline in revenue over the previous two-week period . 

"But I want to assure businesses that the Covid economic support stays in place as long as, for instance, Auckland is at those higher alert levels. 

"That, in part, is recognition of the fact that one part of the country can have a knock-on effect on other parts of the country."

Ardern also announced that NZ is in the final stages of buying extra vaccine supplies from other countries, to meet the surge in demand following the community outbreak of Delta. 

"When the Delta outbreak began we had a choice: continue on with our plan which was designed to very closely match our supply in New Zealand, or to stand up additional surge capacity," she said.

"We chose to stand up extra capacity and we've experienced demand at 180% of what we planned for."

Arden said at the peak in recent weeks, NZ was vaccinating more people per capita than other countries such as the US, UK, Australia and Canada were at their peaks.

There was, therefore, the need to obtain additional supplies to supplement stocks until large deliveries arrive in October. 

They reached out to Pfizer and other countries and began negotiations. 

"These rapid negotiations have been taking place behind the scenes in recent weeks. To say they have been complex would be an understatement." 

She added: "We are now finalising arrangements that secure additional supply in September. This will enable us to continue our extraordinary vaccination rates throughout September until our bulk deliveries arrive in October." 

Ardern said the doses are Pfizer, but she couldn't elaborate further as the contracts are yet to be signed. 

So far, 3,958,607 doses of vaccine have been administered, including 2,611,510 first doses and 1,347,097 second doses.

Yesterday, 7255 swabs were taken, an increase on testing in previous days. 

Ardern also clarified the new rules around masks. They're required on public transport and ride-sharing services, and also shops and public buildings, such as libraries. 

But they are not required for customers and clients in hospo venues, swimming pools and gyms, although staff must wear them.