Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is calling on young people to do their part in self-isolating [Source: TVNZ]

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is calling on young people to do their part in self-isolating too amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Ms Ardern spoke to TVNZ1’s Breakfast this morning after yesterday raising New Zealand’s COVID-19 coronavirus alert level to level three, before level four restrictions kick from 11.59pm on Wednesday.

Level four is put in place with a risk of sustained level of virus transmission. Contact between people is largely eliminated, the public urged to stay at home. Essential services, including supermarkets, health care, service stations and media, will remain in place.

Ms Ardern said the measures will hopefully mean New Zealand won’t see the devastating effects including mass deaths of the virus like what has been seen in some other countries.

“They are extreme and I need every New Zealander to help me,” Ms Ardern said of the impending lockdown.

“We won’t achieve that outcome of looking after everyone unless people follow the rules.

“I do want to speak particularly, if I can, to young people – they’re amongst the group who are going to be less affected if they happen to contract COVID-19, but they’re just as susceptible to pass it on to others. I need them to follow through on this just as much as anyone else.”