Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has reiterated her message to New Zealanders who are returning home from overseas that they "must have a plan" in place on arrival.
She made her comments during a Facebook Live video on Sunday afternoon where she addressed a range of topics, including the strict border measures.
"You must have a plan, I cannot emphasise that enough. You will be interviewed when you arrive in New Zealand and if you do not have a plan for self-isolation, a way to get home appropriately and to stay in self-isolation, you will be placed, essentially, into quarantine," she said.
The new border controls came into effect on Wednesday, the day before New Zealand went into nationwide lockdown.
Every arrival into the country is screened and if they're symptomatic they will be tested and put into quarantine. This also goes for arrivals who don't show symptoms but have no plan or ability to self-isolate.
And for those who land in a city they don't live in and can't get home in isolation, even if they do have a plan, police will check, fine and quarantine anyone breaking the rules.
"I know many people have been upset by that, but we have to take these really strong measures to make sure that we're looking after you and people around you," Ardern said.
Also during her Facebook Live, she emphasised the importance of staying home during the COVID-19 alert level four lockdown.
"If our health services are overwhelmed, that's when we have huge issues. So that's why it's so important during alert level four are all staying at home and breaking that chain of transmission," she said.
The lockdown began at 11:59pm on Wednesday and will be in place for at least four weeks.
Earlier on Sunday, Ardern joined Ministry of Health Director-General Dr Ashley Bloomfield for the daily COVID-19 update, where it was confirmed the first New Zealander had died due to the virus. She was a woman from the West Coast who was in her 70s.
A further 63 cases were also confirmed on Sunday, bringing the country's total of confirmed and probable cases to 514. Fifty-six of these have recovered.
