22 May 2020

As it happened: Covid-19 updates from NZ and around the world

1:19 pm on 22 May 2020

The Health Ministry is reminding New Zealanders that the maximum number of people who can gather remains at 10 for now, except for funerals and tangihanga.

As Covid-19 spreads around the world, it can be daunting keeping up with the information. For RNZ, our responsibility is to give you verified, up to the minute, trustworthy information to help you make decisions about your lives and your health. We'll also be asking questions of officials and decision makers about how they're responding to the virus. Our aim is to keep you informed.

Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield said the restrictions still applied to church and faith based gatherings and the only exceptions were funerals and tangihanga registered by funeral directors with the Ministry of Health.

"We provided our health advice to the government on numbers at Level 2 to minimise the mixing and mingling involved in larger groups.

"I know many people, including those of faith, want to move as quickly as possible to increase the size of their gatherings. I know how important it is for people to be able to practise their faith together.

"The number of people at gatherings will be one of the specific issues being reconsidered by Cabinet on Monday."

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