Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says the Government hasn't taken rapid antigen tests from private businesses.
It comes after reports at the end of January the Ministry of Health 'commandeered' rapid antigen tests.
Ardern told AM the statement was "factually incorrect" and Roche - a multinational pharmaceutical company - is correcting it.
What you need to know:
- There were 202 new community cases in New Zealand of any variant on Tuesday
- Location of new community cases: Northland (17), Auckland (119), Waikato (39), Lakes (4), Bay of Plenty (8), Taranaki (1), Hawke’s Bay (8), Hutt Valley (1), Capital & Coast (4), Nelson Marlborough (1)
- There are 14 people in hospital: four are in North Shore, four in Middlemore, three in Auckland City, two in Rotorua, and one in Christchurch.
These live updates have finished.
7:15pm - There is a confirmed COVID-19 case in the Redoubt North School community in Auckland.
The positive case was at the school on Thursday, February 4.
Principal Jane Milner sent letters to families on Tuesday, advising them of whether their child is a close contact or not.
Those are are deemed close contacts are asked to get tested immediately. Those who aren't a close contact still received a letter, saying the child and their family needs to watch for symptoms and if any develop to get tested. Students who aren't a close contact can still go to school.
The school will remain open in the meantime.
6pm - There are two new locations of interest. They are:
- Private Event: Oropi Memorial Hall & Community Centre Tauranga, January 27 from 5:30pm to 11:30pm
- Private Event: Guru Nanak Sikh Temple Puketaha, January 31 from 8:45am to 5:15pm.
5:30pm - There is one new location of interest. It is:
- The Coffee Club Taupō, February 2 from 9:30am to 10:30am.
5pm - Omicron will not be the last COVID-19 variant New Zealand faces and nor will it be the only illness our country's health system will have to handle this coming winter season, the Prime Minister says.
Parliament returned on Tuesday after the summer hiatus with just half of the usual 120 MPs back in the socially-distanced House, adhering to the red-light settings. The politicians gathered as anti-vax mandate protesters swarmed Parliament's front lawn and surrounding streets, calling for an end to COVID-19 restrictions and also taking issue with other Government initiatives.
Jacinda Ardern began the session by laying out the Government's agenda for 2022. The Prime Minister's statement canvassed a range of topics, including COVID-19, housing, crime, climate change and education.
In it, Ardern told MPs that advice from experts is that Omicron "will not be the last variant" and New Zealand can expect "to face new and different variants this year".
"While the timing, severity or transmissibility is beyond our control, the Government will continue to strengthen our health system and critical public services so we are in the strongest position to deal with whatever the pandemic produces," Ardern said.
The Prime Minister said that means taking pressure off the health system during winter, including by delivering an influenza immunisation programme to maximise uptake for at-risk Kiwis.
4:33pm - The press conference has now finished. To sum up:
- $400,000 will be allocated to rural support agencies to help farmers prepare for the time ahead with Omicron
- Lockdowns and a delayed border reopening were ruled out by Ardern
- More than a quarter of a million more free flu vaccines will be available for this year's winter campaign.
4:32pm - On the protesters at Parliament, Ardern instead said that 31,000 people had gone out and got vaccinated by 1pm.
She adds that the majority of Kiwis have done everything they can to be safe.
4:30pm - Hipkins says they're looking into making N95 masks free and they need to ensure people can comply before making it a mandate.
4:27pm - Hipkins says plans on what will happen with Parliament if Omicron transmits through MPs will be discussed at a 4:30pm meeting today.
He says it will be a case-by-case basis and will depend on how many people have been in the debating chamber and how many people they've been in contact with.
He adds it's a matter of when, not if, an MP gets COVID.
4:24pm - The Government will fund a quarter of a million more free flu vaccines for this year's winter campaign to protect our most vulnerable communities and the health system, Health Minister Andrew Little says.
"Up to 2 million New Zealanders will be eligible for a free flu vaccination in 2022," Little says.
"The efforts of the team of 5 million have helped prevent our hospitals from becoming overwhelmed with COVID-19.
"Now, as we prepare to reconnect to the world, we can expect to see more seasonal flu in New Zealand. Vaccinating more people from the flu will save lives, preserve capacity in our hospitals, and is a part of our plan to get through the COVID-19 pandemic."
The flu vaccine can be safely administered at the same time as the COVID-19 vaccine - whether that be a booster shot or paediatric vaccine. There is no requirement to have a gap between the COVID-19 vaccine and any other vaccine except for the Zostavax shingles vaccine.
"It's so important we continue to do what we can to protect our most vulnerable and this is another way that we can keep New Zealanders safe," Little says.
Currently flu vaccinations are free for pregnant women, over 65s, and people who have certain medical conditions including those with cancer and diabetes.
4:20pm - The connection between health and education is increasingly important when it comes to vaccination rollouts, Hipkins says.
Schools play a large role but he says schools can become the targets of anti-vaccine sentiment, so they have to tread carefully when it comes to schools being part of the rollout.
4:18pm - There is more work to do in Northland and Tairawhiti, Hipkins says
The Government will work with Maori in those areas to try and lift vaccine rates.
4:16pm - The positivity rate is still around 2 percent.
Ardern says this means we aren't missing a lot of cases, but she still wants people to get tested if they're symptomatic.
4:15pm - Later this week, the Government will announce which businesses are essential and can have staff enter the workforce if they are a close contact but test negative with rapid test.
4:13pm - Chris Hipkins is also at the press conference.
He says ICUs are nervous and are anticipating to come under pressure and he understands that. But he says there's advice that ICUs are ready and they deal with peaks and have to make decisions on how to meet more demand.
Hipkins adds that they're as well prepared as they can be, but the best thing to do is to try and avoid it.
4:10pm - On new modelling, Ardern says Omicron is still a new variant, so it's scenario planning rather than accurate forecasting.
She says the more boosters we have, we will be more like South Australia than New York.
4:08pm - Asked whether an Omicron lockdown is on the cards, Ardern says they're really only needed without widespread vaccinations.
She adds that the tools we have now are "vastly larger".
On the border reopening, Ardern says they're being "very cautious" and it's a staged and careful reopening.
4:07pm - Ardern says it isn't an issue that farmers and growers are already getting COVID-19. She says it's about preparing and supporting rural communities should they get infected.
4:06pm - On economic recovery, $400,000 will be allocated to rural support agencies to help farmers prepare for the time ahead with Omicron.
4:05pm - Ardern says for people who are eligible for their booster, they will receive texts and emails to encourage them to get it.
4:03pm - Ardern has arrived.
She is giving an update on COVID-19 and Omicron, and assures vaccinations are helping to slow the spread.
She says cases are lower than expected, but that's not to say it won't increase.
3:50pm - We are about 10 minutes away from the Prime Minister's post-Cabinet press conference.
She is expected to provide an update on the Government's response to the COVID-19 Omicron outbreak.
You'll be able to watch that in the video player above, or you can follow along with updates on this page.
3:40pm - New research shows that Omicron lasts much longer on surfaces than other variants - but disinfecting them still works.
The Japanese study investigated differences between the original Wuhan strain of the virus and subsequent variants – Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta and Omicron. The study claims to be the first to include Omicron in such side-by-side comparisons.
3:10pm - There are still three DHBs yet to reach the 90 percent goal for second doses. They are:
- Northland: 87 percent of eligible population fully vaccinated, 4851 people remaining to hit target
- Tairāwhiti: 89 percent fully vaccinated, 114 people remaining
- Whanganui: 89 percent fully vaccinated, 169 people remaining.
Northland is still yet to reach 90 percent first doses. It has given 89 percent of its eligible population one dose, with just 153 people remaining to hit 90 percent.
2:40pm - Newly-released Omicron modelling shows New Zealand could see 200 to 800 hospitalisations per day during the Omicron outbreak.
The University of Auckland modelling was carried out before Omicron was detected in the community.
It paints a bleak picture with experts expecting the outbreak to be large and put hospitals under significant strain.
The modelling shows for an outbreak starting on February 1, 2022 with high booster uptake peak hospital admissions will range from 200 to 800 a day with peak demand for hospital beds from 800 to 3300, depending on transmission rates.
But Dr Audrey Lustig warned the modelling shows hospitals will be under pressure even with high vaccination rates.
"Demand on hospitals and intensive care units remains high and would put significant strain on our hospital capacity."
2:25pm - There is one new location of interest. It is:
- Bus 72B Stop Tauranga CBD Stand B to Stop Otumoetai Rd - Lydbrook Place, February 2 from 6:37pm to 6:49pm.
2:20pm - Ardern concludes her speech by saying the Government will "leave New Zealand in a better condition than they found it".
2:15pm - Ardern then talks about other non-COVID work the Government plans to do this year.
This includes abolishing the District Health Board system and more work in the mental health and addiction area.
2:10pm - Ardern warns that influenza will return this year. She says they will use the infrastructure developed during the COVID-19 vaccination rollout to help with the flu vaccine plan.
She then talks about other health measures to help improve New Zealanders' lives, including building healthy homes.
2:07pm - Omicron won't be the last variant New Zealand sees this year, Ardern warns.
She says the pandemic isn't over but this doesn't mean we can't move forward.
She reiterates the three Omicron phases that were recently announced and talks about reconnectly in-demand exporters.
2:05pm - Ardern says no country will ever be fully prepared for Omicron, but New Zealanders are doing their bit by getting boosted - "the most significant thing" someone can do to keep themselves safe.
2:02pm - Ardern says the guiding principle of the past few years during the pandemic has been to save lives.
Ardern thanks New Zealanders for their committment through the pandemic which has kept deaths low and made vaccine rates high.
2pm - Jacinda Ardern is due to deliver the Prime Minister's Statement in Parliament to start another year of lawmaking.
She will discuss the Government's policies and plans for 2022.
You can follow along with updates on this page.
1:55pm - The Wellington City Council says they are monitoring the protest with NZTA and the police and are following their instructions.
"We must consider the safety of our staff and do not want to put them in harm's way."
1:44pm - Here are some more pictures from the convoy protest.
1:28pm - Wellington Free Ambulance said they may face delays in responding to calls due to the protest in Wellington.
They want to reassure people that they will get there.
1:25pm - Here are today's regional updates from the Ministry of Health:
We are reporting new community cases in Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Lakes, Bay of Plenty, Taranaki, Hawke’s Bay, Hutt Valley, Capital & Coast, and Nelson Marlborough.
Cases at schools
There have been a number of COVID-19 cases identified at schools recently. This is not unexpected following the start of the school year.
A range of public health measures have been established to help ensure our tamariki are well protected from COVID-19 at school.
Vaccination continues to be New Zealand’s best defence against COVID-19, and vaccination of those currently eligible will help to both protect children and further lower the risk of transmission in schools. All staff in schools are required to be vaccinated and the vaccination programme is well underway for 5 to 11-year-olds.
There are requirements for mask wearing such as for visitors, and for staff and students in year 4 and above, when at Red. Where not required, mask wearing is encouraged, especially in higher density indoor settings where there is an increased risk of transmission.
We also continue to encourage good hygiene practices and urge parents to keep children home from school and to be tested if they have any symptoms that could be COVID-19.
Northland
There are 17 new cases to report in Northland today. Investigations are ongoing to determine links.
Auckland
There are 119 cases to report in Auckland today.
There are 2,670 people isolating in the community, 1,099 of whom are cases.
Waikato
There are 39 new cases to report in Waikato today. Twenty-nine of these cases have links to previously reported cases.
Public health staff are continuing their investigations into the remaining ten cases.
Twenty-five of today’s cases are in Hamilton, two in Ngāruawāhia, two in Ōhaupō, two in Taupiri, one in Morrinsville and the remaining locations are to be confirmed.
Lakes
There are four new cases to report in the Lakes DHB area today – two of which are in Rotorua and two are in Tāupo.
Three of these cases have links to previously reported cases, while the source of the remaining case is under investigation.
Bay of Plenty
Today we are reporting eight new cases in the region, all in Tauranga or the wider Western Bay of Plenty. This number includes one mariner aboard the SF Maui, which has been at the Port of Tauranga
Six of these cases are linked to previously reported cases.
Taranaki
There is one new COVID-19 case to report in Taranaki today which is linked to a previously identified case in Northland. This case was reported by Taranaki DHB on Sunday, but is officially included in today’s numbers. The case and their household contacts are isolating in South Taranaki, and at this stage there are no new locations of interest for the region.
Hawke’s Bay
There are eight new cases to report in Hawke’s Bay today, four of which are associated with Te Mata Primary School in Havelock North.
As two of the cases were unknowingly infectious while at school last week a number of individuals have been identified as close contacts. Hawke’s Bay DHB’s Public Health Unit is working closely with the school and the Ministry of Education.
Pop-up testing is available for close contacts of the Te Mata School group today.
The other four Hawke’s Bay cases are linked to known cases.
Wellington
There are five new cases in the Wellington region today, all are household contacts of existing cases.
Nelson-Marlborough
Today we are reporting one new case in the Tasman region. This case is linked to a previously reported case.
Investigations are continuing to determine the source of a case who was staying at Tahuna Beach Holiday Park at the time of the positive test.
Mobile testing and vaccination was available at the park over the weekend and Public Health staff are wanting to thank people at the park for the strong testing and vaccination turnout.
1:23pm - The ministry said that there were 18,655 booster doses administered yesterday, taking the total to date to 1,605,815. Also, 1,502 paediatric doses were given yesterday, bringing the total to 200,562.
"With Omicron in New Zealand, one of the best things you can do is get your booster as soon as it is due," the ministry said.
"Boosters lower your chances of getting very sick and being hospitalised. Being boosted also helps slow the spread of the virus. If you’re over 18 and your booster is due, please get it now.
"Likewise, a successful response to Omicron relies on us finding any infections as early as possible.
"Anyone with any cold or flu symptoms that could be COVID-19 is asked to get a test and isolate at home until a negative result is returned."
The ministry said that the most common early symptoms of the Omicron variant are a sore or scratchy throat, and a runny nose. Even if you develop a small sniffle, please get a test.
Here is the latest data from the Ministry of Health on the outbreak and vaccination campaign:
COVID-19 vaccine update
- People vaccinated to date (percentage of eligible people): 4,048,018 first doses (96%); 3,973,893 second doses (94%); 1,605,815 booster doses (57% of those due)
- Vaccines administered yesterday: 264 first doses; 476 second doses; 1,502 paediatric doses; 18,655 booster doses.
- Māori (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 514,565 first doses (90%); 489,372 second doses (86%).
- Pacific Peoples (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 278,268 first doses (97%); 270,817 second doses (94%).
- Paediatric vaccines administered to date (percentage of 5 to 11-year-olds): 200,562 first doses (42%)
- Māori (percentage of eligible people aged 5-11): 27,395 (first doses (24%)
- Pacific Peoples (percentage of eligible people aged 5-11): 15,969 first doses (32%)
Vaccination rates for all DHBs (percentage of eligible people aged 12 +)
- Northland DHB: First doses (89.9%); second doses (87%)
- Auckland Metro DHBs: First doses (97%); second doses (96%)
- Waikato DHB: First doses (95%); second doses (93%)
- Bay of Plenty DHB: First doses (95%); second doses (92%)
- Lakes DHB: First doses (93%); second doses (91%)
- MidCentral DHB: First doses (96%); second doses (94%)
- Tairāwhiti DHB: First doses (93%); second doses (89.7%)
- Whanganui DHB: First doses (92%); second doses (89.7%)
- Hawke’s Bay: First doses (97%); second doses (94%)
- Taranaki DHB: First doses (95%); second doses (92%)
- Wairarapa DHB: First doses (96%); second doses (94%)
- Capital and Coast DHB: First doses (98%); second doses (97%)
- Hutt Valley DHB: First doses (97%); second doses (95%)
- Nelson Marlborough DHB: First doses (97%); second doses (95%)
- West Coast DHB: First doses (93%); second doses (91%)
- Canterbury DHB: First doses (99%); second doses (98%)
- South Canterbury DHB: First doses (95%); second doses (94%)
- Southern DHB: First doses (98%); second doses (96%)
Hospitalisations
- Cases in hospital: 14; North Shore: 4; Middlemore: 4; Auckland: 3; Rotorua: 2; Christchurch: 1
- Average age of current hospitalisations: 60
- Cases in ICU or HDU: 1 (Rotorua)
- Vaccination status of current hospitalisations (Northern Region wards only excluding cases recorded in emergency departments): Unvaccinated or not eligible (1 case / 10%); partially immunised <7 days from second dose or have only received one dose (1 case / 10%); fully vaccinated at least 7 days before being reported as a case (8 cases / 80%), unknown (0 cases / 0%).
Cases
- Seven day rolling average of community cases: 183
- Seven day rolling average of border cases: 38
- Number of new community cases: 202
- Number of new cases identified at the border: 63
- Location of new community cases: Northland (17), Auckland (119), Waikato (39), Lakes (4), Bay of Plenty (8), Taranaki (1), Hawke’s Bay (8), Hutt Valley (1), Capital & Coast (4), Nelson Marlborough (1)
- Number of community cases (total): 13,468 (in current community outbreaks)
- Cases epidemiologically linked (total): 9,776
- Number of active cases (total): 2,048 (cases identified in the past 21 days and not yet classified as recovered)
- Confirmed cases (total): 17,876
Contacts
- Number of active contacts being managed (total): 4,996
- Percentage who has received an outbound call from contact tracers (to confirm testing and isolation requirements): 75%
- Percentage who has returned at least one result: 67%
Tests
- Number of tests total (last 24 hours): 13,997
- Tests rolling average (last 7 days): 18,679
- Auckland tests total (last 24 hours): 6,732
Wastewater
- No unusual detections to report.
NZ COVID Tracer
- Poster scans in the 24 hours to midday yesterday: 1,648,509
- Manual diary entries in the 24 hours to midday: 35,040
My Vaccine Pass
- Total issued to date: 5,075,132
- Total yesterday: 7,292
1:22pm - Of the new community cases, 119 are in Auckland, 39 in Waikato, 17 in Northland, 8 in Hawke’s Bay, 8 in Bay of Plenty, four in Lakes, Capital & Coast, one in Taranaki, one in Hutt Valley and one Nelson Marlborough.
The ministry announced there are 14 people in hospital with one in ICU or HDU in Rotorua Hospital.
Of the 14 people in hospital: four in Middlemore, three are in North Shore, three in Auckland City, two in Rotorua, one in Waikato and one in Christchurch.
There are 63 new COVID cases recorded at the border in Managed Isolation and Quarantine.
1:20pm - The Ministry of Health has announced 202 new COVID-19 cases with X14 people in hospital and one in ICU on Tuesday.
1:19pm - Newshub has been told that Wellington City Council is not sending out traffic wardens to ticket those who have just parked in the street and abandoned their cars.
They say they don't want to endanger staff and instead are waiting for police directive before acting.
1:17pm - An update on the protest, the national anthem has just been played outside Parliament and now speeches have begun. It's estimated there are around a thousand people that have turned up for the convoy protest.
1:07pm - While we wait for the ministry to reveal Tuesday's case numbers, the Ministry of Health has announced two new locations of interest in Auckland.
The locations are:
- Hoppers Garden Bar Grey Lynn - From Sunday, 30 January 8pm to Monday, 31 January 12am
- O'Hagan's Irish Bar Auckland - From Sunday, 30 January 8pm to Monday, 31 January 1am
For the relevant dates, times and public health advice - and updates to existing locations of interest - click here.
12:48pm - Speeches are estimated to begin in about 20 minutes but members of the convoy are still arriving in Wellington so could be delayed again.
12:45pm - As usual, the Ministry of Health will release its daily statement with the latest updates on the COVID-19 outbreak at around 1pm.
Stay tuned, as we will publish the newest developments live as soon as the statement is available.
12:41pm - Hundreds of people have gathered outside Parliament to protest against Government vaccine mandates.
People have gathered with signs and are waving New Zealand and Maori flags.
One sign says: "Equal employment is a fundamental human right" while another sign said: "We should not be having to protest for our freedoms".
12:34pm - Speeches were due to start outside Parliament at 12pm but have been delayed and will not begin until all the Convoy members have arrived.
People have gathered on the lawn outside the Beehive with just Parliament security on the scene.
12:20pm - A man on a microphone speaking to the crowd at Parliament said speeches won't start until the whole group has arrived and has urged people to remain peaceful.
12:17pm - The Ministry of Health has announced one new 'high risk' location of interest with three different exposure times.
The location is the Gorkha Eastern Beach Indian Restaurant Eastern Beach in Auckland.
The exposure times are:
- Monday, 31 January from 11:30am to 10pm
- Tuesday, 1 February from 11:30am to 10pm
- Wednesday, 2 February from 11:30am to 10pm
The ministry asks anyone who was at the restaurant during the exposure time to "Self-isolate, test immediately and on day 5 after you were exposed at this location of interest. Further isolation and testing requirements will be provided by Public Health".
For the relevant dates, times and public health advice - and updates to existing locations of interest - click here.
12:08pm - Metlink has advised bus users in the capital that the number 14 bus to and from Wilton to the CBD will detour due to traffic delays caused by the protest.
12:05pm - Wellington police are advising communicators in the capital to delay their travel around Parliament because of the protest activity.
12:02pm - Social media reports say that the convoy plan to camp out at Parliament as long as possible.
The convoy had split into three groups with the first wave arriving at Parliament about an hour ago.
The second group is at Ngauranga Gorge and taking the Murphy St exit while the last group wave is in Mana and Pukerua Bay and will take the Terrace offramp.
11:57am - Winston Peters has supported the protesters arriving at Parliament on Tuesday.
In a tweet he said that the convoy represents "large number of Kiwis who are frustrated with Government delays".
Peters said everyone - including Jacinda Ardern - should listen to the "legitimately frustrated Kiwis".
11:52am - Stuff is reporting that organisers of the convoy are directing protestors to block as many roads as they can in Wellington. Their aim appears to be to jam the city's traffic.
11:40am - As mentioned earlier, the first group of protesters have started arriving at Parliament in Wellington.
In a traffic update page on Facebook, it said the protesters had split into three groups with well over 1000 vehicles in total.
The first Convoy group has just arrived at Parliament with many more cars still coming. The second group is at Ngauranga Gorge and back to Johnsonville while the last group is rolling into Pukerua Bay and back halfway through to Raumati.
11:30am - Meanwhile, in Victoria, they have also seen a jump in cases with 9,785 new infections and coronavirus deaths have spiked with 20 announced on Tuesday.
The rise in deaths come after Victoria recorded the past two days with less than 10 coronavirus deaths.
Victoria Health said there are 575 people in hospital with 72 in ICU and 30 people on a ventilator.
It takes the number of officially reported active infections to 58,449, down from 59,801 on Monday.
11:24am - In Australia, New South Wales has recorded a jump in COVID-19 infections with 9,690 new community cases and 128 coronavirus deaths on Tuesday.
The new cases are an increase from Monday after four straight days where case numbers have dropped.
NSW Health said hospitalisations and ICU admissions are continuing to ease since the Omicron peak in mid-January, with currently 2,068 people in hospital with 132 in ICU.
The statistics are a drop from Monday’s 2099 patients in hospital and 137 in ICU.
11:19am - The Ministry of Health has announced four new 'high risk' locations of interest in Auckland and Rotorua.
The first location of interest is the Gorkha Eastern Beach Restaurant Eastern Beach in Auckland, with the expsoure times:
- Friday, 28 January from 11am to 10pm
- Sunday, 30 January from 11am to 10pm
- Saturday, 29 January from 11:30am to 10pm
The other location of interest is:
- Taco Bell Fairy Springs - Thursday, 3 February from 7pm to 7:30pm
The ministry asks anyone who was either a dine-in patron at Taco Bell during the exposure time or at Gorkha Eastern Beach Restaurant during the exposure time to "Self-isolate, test immediately and on day 5 after you were exposed at this location of interest. Further isolation and testing requirements will be provided by Public Health".
For the relevant dates, times and public health advice - and updates to existing locations of interest - click here.
11:10am - The movement - called the Convoy 2022 - have started arriving in Wellington and will protest against vaccine mandates on Tuesday.
Protesters who are on foot are carrying flags and signs while demonstrators in cars are tooting as they demand an end to all mandates and COVID-19 restrictions, and what they see is media censorship of their views.
11:02am - According to social media reports the protesters who are converging on Wellington have split into three groups.
In a traffic update posted on Facebook it said there were around 1000 vehicles.
The first official group of the convoy has reached Porirua and is backed up all the way to Mana.
The second group is heading into Pukerua Bay but is backed up all the way back to Raumati while the third wave is hitting Kapiti Expressway and is backed up to Peka Peka.
10:28am - Wellington City Council is warning residents to prepare for traffic disruption in the city on Tuesday as protests converge on the capital.
"Please be aware that a truck convoy protest is planned for Wellington this morning and is likely to cause traffic disruption around the city.," the council said on Twitter.
"Please take care and plan your journey accordingly."
10:20am - Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern believes New Zealand's Omicron peak could be in late March.
Ardern told RNZ's Morning Report that it was still very difficult to predict Omicron's behaviour.
"While there's uncertainty in case numbers, if you looked at low case profiles in a place like say South Australia and you applied that to New Zealand, you would have something like 10,000 cases a day at its peak."
A high scenario like in New York would mean 30,000 cases a day, she said.
"It's widely variable and ultimately the defining feature of where we will peak will be booster uptake. The more people who take a booster, the lower the likelihood of our peak."
Case numbers have dropped over the past two days in New Zealand after a record day of infections on Saturday.
The weekly rolling average of cases is 170, with Omicron recently overtaking Delta as the dominant strain.
Ardern believes New Zealand's Omicron peak may be in late March.
10:10am - Protesters are slowly starting to gather around Parliament in Wellington. Supporters have come with signs and Maori and New Zealand flags.
One sign says: "Hands off our freedoms and rights" while another says "Keep your pricks off my kids".
10am - The latest Newshub-Reid Research poll shows that Kiwis are split over the Government's handling of the Omicron variant.
When asked, do you think the Government has prepared well enough for an Omicron outbreak? 44.5 percent said yes while 44.3 percent said no.
Newshub political reporter Jenna Lynch told AM it's a "remarkable" result for Labour.
"When you look at the past couple of weeks and the start to the year that they had," she said.
"I think the announcement around boosters last week, the announcement around the border, our poll was open during that time so perhaps people are seeing a turning of the corner for the Omicron outbreak."
Read the full story here.
9:48am - A leading economist is worried about how businesses will manage cash flow this year.
Cameron Bagrie said that the COVID-19 red setting is as bad for the economy as alert level 3 lockdowns.
"Omicron is walking through," economist Cameron Bagrie told Three's new morning show AM on Tuesday.
He explained foot traffic, across the economy, was down about 20 percent under red.
Read the full story here.
9:38am - Vehicles are converging on Parliament to protest against vaccine mandates on Tuesday.
Protesters have begun to arrive in Wellington, carrying flags and signs demanding an end to all mandates and COVID-19 restrictions, and what they see is media censorship of their views.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern confirmed she will not be meeting with the protesters travelling to Parliament.
Ardern said her focus is on a caucus meeting on Tuesday.
New Zealanders all the way through the pandemic have given up something, but in order to keep our communities safe, and it's worked, Ardern told RNZ's Morning Report programme.
Ardern said that 96 percent of New Zealanders are vaccinated, which has enabled us to actually have more freedoms within a new system that allows things like travel, and shifts away from lockdowns.
9:27am - Wellington police are warning communities that protest activity in the city could cause congestion on roads on Tuesday morning.
"The planned protest activity in Wellington today is expected to cause congestion on routes into Wellington City this morning," police said in a Facebook post.
"Motorists travelling into Wellington from the Hutt Valley and Kapiti should anticipate delays and consider delaying travel.
"Police will continue to monitor this activity."
9:14am - ACT has called on the Government to release documents clarifying the confusion around whether they stole rapid antigen tests from private businesses.
It comes after Ardern told AM on Tuesday speculation that the Ministry of Health 'commandeered' rapid antigen tests (RAT) was "factually incorrect".
"The confusion about whether the Government took RATs that were already in the country and destined for private businesses is easily resolved," ACT Leader David Seymour says.
"The Ministry of Health has said it 'did take the full February allocation from Roche and their stock on hand in New Zealand as part of having our orders fulfilled by Roche'.
"Jacinda Ardern said this morning on AM that was wrong. They can't both be right.
"The Government could easily put the issue to rest by releasing all of the correspondence it and the Ministry of Health had with RAT manufacturers.
"If the Prime Minister is right, and the Ministry has done nothing wrong, the Government will be eager to release the documents publicly.
"If it chooses to keep them secret, New Zealanders will come to their own conclusions."
9:07am - Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says the Government has not taken rapid antigen tests from private businesses.
It comes after reports at the end of January the Ministry of Health 'commandeered' rapid antigen tests (RAT).
Ardern told AM, the statement was "factually incorrect" and Roche - multinational pharmaceutical company - is correcting it.
"What the ministry is saying is we had an order with Roche and Roche themselves have verified that and of course Roche does process those orders as they were received and the Ministry of Health were top amongst that queue and received their order," Ardern said. "They were not allocations that were destined for any other company.
"What I'm telling you is what Roche has advised, which is they had rapid antigen tests in the country, they were moving through the sequencing of their orders, in order, and that is the basis on how we received ours. So the assertion that we have taken orders from other companies is just not correct."
Ardern said the Government did not get priority in the queue when allocated the RATs, saying Roche moved through the orders in the correct sequence.
8:57am - Kia ora, good morning, and welcome to Newshub's live coverage of the COVID-19 Omicron outbreak for Tuesday, February 8.
