Ardern to join Aussie meeting as cases spike across Tasman

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will join the Australian national cabinet meeting by conference call on the Covid-19 crisis tomorrow after an invitation from her counterpart, Scott Morrison.

She is expected to join it at the start for at least half an hour about midday NZ time.

Morrison's Covid cabinet includes the Premiers and chief ministers of all states and territories.

Morrison's office confirmed to news.com.au that he spoke to Ardern last night and the pair swapped notes on experiences responding to the virus.

They also discussed how to ease restrictions and open up the economy, an independent review as part of lessons learned on the response to the virus to enable both countries to respond better next time, and aligning approaches on common challenges on the other side.

Among the issues to be discussed tomorrow will be Australia's Covidsafe app, which is designed to help to trace close contacts of people confirmed with the Covid-19 virus. New Zealand is developing its own app as well.

They are also set to discuss the possibility of a trans-Tasman travel bubble to open up the border between Australia and New Zealand.

Foreign Minister Winston Peters has been its most vocal proponent with Ardern having been more cautious. Peters said at the weekend his Foreign Affairs are working with counterparts in Australia on what would be required under a trans-Tasman bubble.

Former Prime Minister Sir John Key and New Zealand ministers have previously held a joint cabinet meeting in Sydney when Malcolm Turnbull was Prime Minister.

The meeting comes as Australia recorded a spike in Covid-19 cases.

Twenty-six new cases of the coronavirus, including a seven-year-old boy, were reported across three states on Monday in the biggest daily jump in two weeks, Reuters reported.

The number of new infections could rise still higher as more states and territories report case numbers throughout the day.

While NSW saw just one new case overnight, Victoria reported a disturbing increase of 22, nearly all of them connected to an outbreak at an abattoir.

Queensland reported three new cases, two of whom had been travelling overseas and one on a cruise ship.

"I understand why (people are frustrated) – it's not easy to live this way," Victoria premier Daniel Andrews said this morning.

"None of us can assume just because we're frustrated that this is over. It is far from over. We have to stay the course."

Australia has now recorded more than 6800 cases of Covid-19, with 3036 in New South Wales, 1406 in Victoria, 1038 in Queensland, 438 in South Australia, 551 in Western Australia, 223 in Tasmania, 106 in the Australian Capital Territory and 29 in the Northern Territory.

The death toll stands at 95.