Dr Siouxsie Wiles issues call for Aucklanders escaping city for baches to 'bloody well take Level 3 with you'

Microbiologist Dr Siouxsie Wiles is calling for Aucklanders who escaped the city for their baches ahead of last night's alert level change to remember to "bloody well take Level 3" with you.

"Hey, all you Aucklanders leaving the city during the night to spend the week at your bach... you better bloody well take Level 3 with you," Wiles said today in a Twitter thread.

"You do realise this is a s****y thing to do? If you are incubating the virus you run the risk of spreading it outside Auckland #COVID19nz."

She pointed out that while people may feel fine and don't believe they have Covid-19, "that's how everyone incubating Covid-19 starts off".

"You could be setting off chains of transmission and potentially in places with far less healthcare capacity than Auckland."

It comes as tempers flared between drivers waiting in queues with an over two-hour wait time on State Highway 2, headed north into Auckland, around 19 kilometres out from the State Highway 1 turn off, according to a 1 NEWS journalist.

Some drivers could be seen attempting to use passing lanes to skip ahead, leading others to cut them off and make them wait their turn.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern stressed in a press conference this afternoon the importance of Covid-19 testing and staying home amid concerns additional cases will emerge in the community.

"It's more than likely there will be additional cases in the community but they might not show up in test results for a few more days yet," Ardern said.

"That is why it is so important close and those casual contacts of all our Covid cases get tested in the coming days.

"Getting tested and staying home and isolated will help us to save lives and ensure we get the economy back up and running as soon as we can."