Graffiti on a Christchurch war memorial caused by suspected COVID-19 deniers amid a resurgence in community coronavirus cases has worried the city council.
"COVID kills your rights" and "unlawful lockdown" was written in chalk on the steps of the city's Bridge of Remembrance as COVID-19 conspiracy theories continue to loiter in the community.
It's understood the chalk was removed on Wednesday.
"We are naturally concerned for any vandalism to council property," a Christchurch City Council spokesman told Newshub.
The New Zealand and Christchurch RSA's were contacted for comment.
Auckland was placed into alert level 3 lockdown and the rest of New Zealand into level 2 after new community transmission of COVID-19 was revealed on Tuesday.
Four members of the same Auckland family tested positive for coronavirus, despite having no links to overseas travel.
That was followed by 14 new cases of COVID-19 being announced in New Zealand on Thursday - 13 of which were linked to the new Auckland cluster and the other was linked to overseas travel in managed isolation.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said some of the conspiracy theories have been perpetuated from overseas.
"I've seen reports of people from overseas who have viewed COVID-19 as being fake, who have lost their lives to it. That's the evidence - the global situation is the evidence.
"This is very, very real, we need to take it seriously."
