Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has set out the next steps to combat the spread of Covid-19.

Ardern announced an alert system for Covid-19 and said all people over 70 or who have compromised immunity should stay at home as much as possible. She also advised against any non-essential travel within New Zealand.

There were 53 confirmed cases in New Zealand as of Saturday and the Ministry of Health cannot rule out the risk that there has been community transmission.

New Zealand has already closed its border to all travellers except NZ citizens, permanent residents, residents with valid travel conditions and their partners and children.

Read more about the Covid-19 coronavirus:

A timeline: How Covid-19 started, spread and stalled life in NZ Self isolation - your questions answered Touching your Face: Why do we do it and how to stop Coronavirus: Answers to the top five questions Scientific hand-washing advice to avoid infection More Covid-19 news If you have symptoms of the coronavirus, call the NZ Covid-19 Healthline on 0800 358 5453 (+64 9 358 5453 for international SIMs)

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.