The economic impact of this Covid lockdown depends on how long strict conditions remain in place

ASB estimates that during a nationwide lockdown, we forego activity worth around 0.5 to 0.6 per cent of annual GDP -- or 1.9-billion-dollars -- a week.

Chief economist Nick Tuffley says if Auckland sits in Alert Level Four -- and the rest of the country at Alert Level Three -- we'd be foregoing around 0.3 per cent.

He says if we quickly get Auckland to Level Three, and the rest to Level Two, that's only around a tenth of annual GDP per week.