The 4.3 magnitude quake 10km south-west of Christchurch at a depth of 5km hit about 7.49am.
Canterbury Civil Defence group controller Neville Reilly said the most important thing right now is for everyone to stay at home, but make sure they are ready for a disaster such as an earthquake.
“While there is a huge effort under way to co-ordinate our Covid-19 response, we’re also planning for how we will respond if another event occurs at the same time.
"Unfortunately, Covid-19 hasn’t reduced our risk of flood, earthquake or other hazards we’ve learnt to live with in New Zealand.“
He said Easter is a time for people to look around their homes and think about what jobs they could do from within their bubble to prepare for a disaster.
“Discuss a plan with your other bubble members about where you would drop, cover and hold, and what your evacuation plan is if needed.
"Is there anything that needs fixing down that you could do with tools you have at home?
"Or you could make a list of things you need to follow up on after lockdown is lifted.”
