The empty streets in New Zealand [Source: Kingsley Abbott]

There are 76 new confirmed cases of the COVID-19 in New Zealand, Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield has said.

The total number of cases in the country now stands at 589.

One person has died so far.

There have been no additional deaths.

New Zealand is now in its fifth day of level-4 alert status – a full lockdown for at least four weeks.

Only essential services will remain open and movement is restricted.

This means people should only have physical contact with the people in their household.

Those who live alone can have contact with a single member of a household for support.

More than 662,700 people have been infected across the world and 30,751 have died according to a Reuters tally.

The country was put in the National State of Emergency on 25 March for at least seven days.

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[Source: Radio NZ]