Most public buildings have been closed, but Cantabrians made the most of Sunday's hot weather by heading to the region's parks, beaches and walking trails.

With pools, museums and libraries closed, and indoor gatherings limited, a high of 27 degrees Celsius saw people heading outdoors instead.

Governors Bay Hotel owner Jeremy Dyer said despite the drop in tourists due to travel restrictions, local people have still been turning out.

Joseph Johnson/STUFF Jeremy Dyer, owner of Governors Bay Hotel, says they were busy despite concerns over Covid-19, but he is still worried about the coming weeks.

"We've had a really busy day. With this sort of weather it's sort of what we'd expect. We've probably done 150 meals," he said.

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"This is all people from Christchurch – there's been a smattering of tourists."

Joseph Johnson/STUFF The Sign of the Kiwi Cafe and Bar remained popular with walkers and cyclists this weekend.

However, the hotel has had between "50 and 100 room cancellations", as well as a wedding and a wake, since mass gatherings were banned last week and Dwyer said he was not optimistic about the coming days.

"We had a birthday party booked in last night for 100, it ended up being 20. I fully expect to be closed down pretty soon."

The Sign of the Kiwi Cafe and Bar – a popular stop for walkers and cyclists at the top of Dyers Pass Rd – appeared busy, but owner Eric Devos said it was about 25 per cent quieter than a normal Sunday.

A sign had been put up asking everyone to wash their hands before they entered the cafe and although some people said they did not need to, most were cooperative, he said.

"Ten per cent would argue. 90 per cent were fine. [Some] people don't seem to really understand the full situation.

"There's been some funny vibes between all of us, [staff] not really focusing on things."

Joseph Johnson/STUFF Families headed to Cass Bay, near Christchurch, to enjoy the warm weather on Sunday.

Under the current rules, people are allowed outside but have been urged to limit their movements and cut any non-essential domestic travel. Bars and restaurants are required to have a guest register, and physical distancing is encouraged, including on public transport (meaning people should stay at least 1 metre from each other).

A petition led by Dr Kelvin Ward is campaigining for the nation's threat status to be elevated from level two – which means the risk of community transmission is growing – to level four, meaning people should stay at home and schools and non-essential businesses are closed.

James Ussher, an associate professor and director of the Webster Centre for Infectious Diseases at University of Otago, said although it was a difficult decision to make, he supported calls to raise the status.

"We don't know what the right answer is but, that said, I think this spreads quickly once it's in the community and I think we have a limited window of opportunity," he said.

Australia's biggest two states – New South Wales (NSW) and Victoria – announced on Sunday they were going into full lockdown to combat the virus after the NSW Government earlier had to shut down Bondi Beach as thousands of people defied pleas to abide by social distancing measures.

"We should go hard now, up to level 4 with the hope we might be able to stamp it out [in New Zealand]," Ussher said.

As of Sunday, 66 people had tested positive for coronavirus in New Zealand, including three in Canterbury.

Locking the country down for "a period of weeks" would give health authorities and laboratories a chance to identify everyone who is infected with coronavirus, he said.

"If we can control it and with our borders closed, there is a possibility that we might be able to have some semblance of normality return."

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