Director General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield has had to walk back comments made by himself and the Prime Minister on Monday about the country having achieved elimination.
New Zealand has been hailed in international media including The New York Times and The Daily Telegraph as having won the battle in eliminating Covid-19.
While elimination has been achieved at alert level four - giving Doctor Bloomfield the confidence to move the country into level 3 - the war has not been won.
RNZ political reporter, Jo Moir, has the story.
