Police say they are "starting to see" an increase in family harm incidents, after two weeks of Covid-19 lockdown.

Police say they are "starting to see" an increase in family harm incidents, as the country enters its third week of Covid-19 lockdown.

And in a statement on Friday, Assistant Commissioner Sandra Venables said police knew there could be more incidents that weren't being reported.

She urged anyone in immediate danger and unable to call 111, to get out of their house and ask someone else to make an emergency call. Venables also urged neighbours and friends who thought something was wrong to contact police.

Data provided by police show a spike in cases of reported family harm around the country to 595 on March 29, the first Sunday after the lockdown was put in place. That was between about 90 and 100 reports higher than on the previous three Sundays, the data – covering the month from March 8 to April 8 – shows.

READ MORE:

* Coronavirus: Police plan for spike in family violence

* Coronavirus: Nearly one incident of family harm in Canterbury every half hour

* Coronavirus: Women's Refuge see increase in domestic violence during lockdown

RNZ Whanganui iwi are calling for a ban on the online sale of alcohol during lockdown out of fears it will cause a spike in family violence.

The first Saturday after lockdown, showed a spike compared to the previous two Saturdays, with 547 reports of family harm that day.

There have also been more reports on other days during the past two weeks than in the previous two weeks. That includes higher numbers on the days immediately before the lockdown started.

Monday this week had more reports than the previous four Mondays, but the number of reports dropped back to the lowest levels in more than a fortnight on Tuesday and Wednesday this week.

There has been concern that family violence could spike during the lockdown, with Justice Minister Andrew Little previously saying the pandemic response had "the potential to put a lot more stress on a lot more families and we know that when that happens that there's usually an increase in violence in the home".

In Christchurch, family violence agency Aviva reported a 22 per cent increase in reported incidents in the city since the lockdown started, to an average of 44 incidents a day.

Domestic abuse prevention organisation Shine said the lockdown was especially challenging for women living with an abusive partner because of the fewer opportunities to have space and time away from that partner.

"Calls we are receiving are often very desperate from people with a small window of time to speak – eg while their partner is out walking the dog or while they are out grocery shopping," Shine spokesperson Holly Carrington said.

"Leaving an abusive partner safely, especially with young children, at the best of times is a complicated and difficult undertaking. During lockdown it is practically impossible.

"We would normally not recommend leaving without doing some careful planning, but in these circumstances it might just be best for someone experiencing domestic violence to take any opportunity they have to get out of their home and seek help from Shine, or anywhere they can find help or support," Carrington said.

She had not been able to check numbers with helpline staff, who were busy adjusting to remote working technical issues, but anecdotally she had heard call numbers had not increased significantly.

Shine was not able to put any more families in its two Auckland refuges because of the lockdown, and so was having to put new families in motel accommodation.

"We believe it's very likely that demand for refuge accommodation will increase during the lockdown and I have heard that this is already happening in other refuges in New Zealand," Carrington said.

Another big challenge was providing basic resources for clients who were escaping abuse. Those included food, cell phones, clothes, transportation, nappies and activities for children, specially for those stuck in a motel.

Usual supply networks could not be tapped and secondhand donations that would normally meet some of these needs could not be accepted.

A government grant had been critical in paying the bill for motel accommodation. Shine was asking for donations and for the basic resources – new and delivered to Shine's supporter base.

Shine emphasised its services remained available during the lockdown, while Assistant Commissioner Venables said police would continue to prioritise family harm incidents "and we will come when you call".

Venables was also concerned that it could be harder during the lockdown for some people to contact police or other agencies.

"Let me be clear, if you are in immediate danger and you cannot call us on 111, leave your house and get out of harm's way. Your safety comes first. Get to a safe distance and then ask a neighbour, or a passer-by (at a two-metre distance) to call 111 for you," she said.

"We also urge neighbours and friends to contact police if they have concerns. If you think something's not right, it probably isn't.

"It's OK to call police if you're worried about someone as they may not be able to speak up for themselves. It's everybody's responsibility to help keep each other safe right now through this challenging time. You could be saving a life."