Councils across New Zealand are closing their facilities in a bid to curb the spread of Covid-19.

Affected areas include Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin, Lower Hutt and Porirua.

Wellington mayor Andy Foster said in a statement on Saturday that in light of the need for people to limit their physical contact with each other, the council would close most of its facilities until further notice.

These included swimming pools, libraries, recreation centres, community centres, City Gallery Wellington and the city's museums and venues.

ROSA WOODS/STUFF Wellington Mayor Andy Foster announced the closure of all facilities until further notice on Saturday.

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Wellington Zoo and Zealandia would remain open "for the moment" with reduced public programmes.

Foster said he was having daily meetings with Wellington City Council's pandemic response team, the region's other mayors and regional council chairman Daran Ponter.

The city council's emergency welfare team had been activated and was working with district health boards (DHBs) and community organisations to prepare for an escalation of the situation.

"This includes working with food bank operators to ensure they can operate if the situation worsens," Foster said.

HAMISH MCNEILLY/STUFF Dunedin Mayor Aaron Hawkins announced similar closures in Dunedin.

The news comes one day after Te Papa museum closed. The council is also looking at reassessing its annual plan in light of the coronavirus pandemic to support the city's business community.

In Auckland on Friday, mayor Phil Goff announced the closure of most council facilities. This included Auckland's 55 public libraries, 38 recreation centres and art galleries, and 245 other venues, affecting more than 2000 staff.

The city's War Memorial Museum, one of its biggest tourist attractions, was due to close on Saturday.

Lower Hutt Mayor Campbell Barry said all of its facilities would also be closed as a precaution, effective Sunday.

That would include Lower Hutt's libraries, swimming pools, community hubs, museums, sports facilities and community centres. The council's main offices on Laings Rd would remain open to the public on Monday.

"Our community facilities are well loved and well used by people across Lower Hutt. We haven't rushed to this decision, but believe this action is necessary in order to slow the spread of Covid-19," Barry said.

The closure of Hutt City Council facilities would be reviewed on a day-to-day basis.

SUPPLIED Lower Hutt Mayor Campbell Barry: "We haven't rushed to this decision, but believe this action is necessary in order to slow the spread of Covid-19."

In Dunedin, mayor Aaron Hawkins said all of its six public libraries would be closed from 4pm Saturday until further notice.

Numbers at Moana Pool had been limited from the early afternoon and the facility would close as soon as everyone had left.

Toitū Otago Settlers Museum, Lan Yuan - Dunedin Chinese Garden and the Dunedin Public Art Gallery would remain open as it was easier to provide for physical distancing, he said.

Hawkins said all affected Dunedin City Council staff would be redeployed.

"Obviously, this is a very difficult time for our whole community. I want to continue to encourage people to remain calm and continue to take care of themselves, their friends and family."

The Christchurch City Council is also closing down all its community facilities from 4pm on Saturday.

That means there will be no public access to libraries, sport and recreation centres, pools, community centres, service centres, the Christchurch Art Gallery and the visitors' centre in the Botanic Gardens until further notice.

"There is no sign of community transmission in Christchurch and we still only have two confirmed cases, both of which relate to overseas travel," said Mary Richardson, leader of Christchurch City Council's coronavirus management team.

"On Friday we announced we were keeping facilities open but operating them at reduced capacity so that we could ensure users could stay at a safe distance from each other.

"In light of the prime minister's address to the nation and the increase in Covid-19 cases around the country, we have again consulted with the Medical Officer of Health and have decided this is the right time to close our facilities."

It's understood several other local authorities across the country are also shutting down their facilities.

A Canterbury Museum exhibition of stories from the Canterbury earthquakes, Quake City, has closed to visitors until further notice.

Museum director Anthony Wright said it was following the city council's lead and would be closed as a precaution.

Non public-facing museum work, such as looking after collections, will continue, however the cafe and store will be closed.