Wellington

The ministers of the new government for New Zealand and the now second-term prime minister Jacinda Ardern have been sworn in. During a ceremony at Wellington's Government House, they took their oaths of office in English and Maori.

Prime Minister Ardern stated that "There are significant challenges for us to overcome together, but I am confident we have the team to do it and it is great to be officially able to now crack on with it".

An open letter signed by over 150 medical professionals from the United States the government is called to "hit the reset button" and enact a second lockdown, pointing to the over 117,000 Americans that have died from due to the Covid-19 pandemic and comparing these numbers to Germany, South Korea, and other countries.

The letter states that "The best thing for the nation is not to reopen as quickly as possible, it’s to save as many lives as possible. And reopening before suppressing the virus isn’t going to help the economy" and later adds that "Non-essential businesses should be closed. Restaurant service should be limited to take-out. People should stay home, going out only to get food and medicine or to exercise and get fresh air. Masks should be mandatory in all situations, indoors and outdoors, where we interact with others."

The letter has been published on the website of the United States Public Interest Research Group and written by its public health campaigns director Matthew Wellington.

Thousands of people across New Zealand have joined Americans to protest the killing of George Floyd. In Auckland and Christchurch, protestors have gathered for the Black Lives Matter March for Solidarity while a vigil is being held in Wellington. Among the organisers is 20-year old student Joanna Li, who told the NZ Herald: "It's needed, if you think it's not needed, you're not paying attention."

In a first-ever commercially operated, direct flight from Los Angeles to Wellington, the Avatar Crew including James Cameron returned to New Zealand to resume production on the sequels of Avatar. Entry in the country was allowed as the project was deemed to have "significant economic value". The crew of 50 people has to enter a "14-day Government-supervised self-isolation" before resuming filming.