Auckland lockdown extended until Sunday, rest of country to stay at level 2

Auckland will remain in lockdown until Sunday, a four-day extension of the lockdown which was meant to lift on Wednesday.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said there were promising signs that the Government was getting on top of the virus, but a short extension was recommended by director-general of health Ashley Bloomfield.

On Sunday night Auckland would move down to level 2. The rest of the country would stay at level 2.

Ardern said the rest of the country needed to stay at an elevated alert level to mitigate the risk of cases leaving Auckland when interregional travel resumed. Click here to read more.

More messages from your neighbours

The Summer Kiwi Quiz is back by popular demand

Summer Kiwi Quiz - 2026

Grab a copy of your local Stuff newspaper between 1 Jan - 28 Jan and participate in the Summer Kiwi Quiz! Test your knowledge, answer the daily New Zealand based questions, and find out how well you know our beautiful country!

Each correct answer will get you one entry into the draw to WIN 1 of 5 Ooni Karu 2 Portable Pizza Oven bundles, valued at $1024! Each bundle includes: an Ooni Karu 2 Multi-Fuel Portable Pizza Oven, Ooni Karu 2 Carry Cover, Ooni 12" Perforated Peel, Ooni Digital Infrared Thermometer and an Ooni Cookbook: Cooking with Ooni. The more answers you enter correctly, the higher your chance of winning. For more information and to submit your answers, click here

The Team at Stuff Enter Here