All rest homes in level 4 lockdown for three days

Rest homes are going into full lockdown until midnight on Friday, effectively operating at alert level 4.

Aged Care Association chief executive Simon Wallace said this morning that no visits from family would be allowed.

• This story was first published by RNZ

He said rest homes were not taking any chances.

"The experience in Melbourne where more than 100 rest homes have been affected shows the impact of not moving quickly.

"This a precautionary measure and the situation will be reassessed on Friday."

• If you have symptoms of the coronavirus, call the NZ Covid-19 Healthline on 0800 358 5453 (+64 9 358 5453 for international SIMs) or call your GP - don't show up at a medical centre