Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says the wave of Omicron cases is set to hit a peak in three to six weeks. 

Ardern provided details on the conditions under which vaccination mandates could be eased as protests continue around Parliament's grounds. 

She said the seven-day average for cases now exceeded 1600. 

"It's likley then that very soon, we will all know people who will have Covid. 

"There was a time when that was a scary prospect but it doesn't have to be now," 

Ardern said New Zealand was in a stronger position than many places to weather the Omicron storm. 

She said in three to six weeks, Omicron numbers would probably peak. 

Then they would decline drastically. 

Ardern said it was crucial to manage the pandemic "with as few restrictions on our daily lives as possible," 

Business support packages 

Businesses hard hit by the red light setting and Omicron will be able to get some relief from a new Government support scheme, Finance Minister Grant Robertson announced. 

The new Covid Support Payment of a maximum of $24,000 will be made available for businesses struggling with a business downturn during the red light setting and the Omicron outbreak. 

Each payment is $4000 per business plus $400 per full-time employee. It will be capped at 50 FTEs or $24,000. Businesses have to show a 40 percent drop in seven consecutive days within the six weeks prior to the shift to Phase 2 of the Omicron response on February 15. 

Businesses can apply for the first payment from February 28 and payments start from March 1. 

It is available fortnightly basis for six weeks – three payments in total. 

Robertson said that reflected the expected timing for Omicorn to peak and ease again. 

"We will continue to closely monitor the situation and have the option to extend the payment if this if necessary." 

Earlier, Ardern said restrictions could well be eased more quickly than many people expected once Omicron had peaked. The issues she is expected to address include the mandates that cover about 45 per cent of the workforce. 

They are the biggest focus of attention of the protesters outside Parliament but on TVNZ's Breakfast, Ardern said her decision to provide more clarity on those issues was not a result of the protest. 

"My job is focusing on the growing pandemic and speaking to the future. Those measures are for all New Zealanders, not as a result of the activity taking place on the [Parliament[] lawn today." 

She said she would not engage with those protesters, and would hold that position as long as illegal activity continued. 

She said Omicron was her primary focus, as the outbreak continued to swell: today there were 2365 new community cases of Covid-19. 

There were two further Covid-19 related deaths, bringing the total to 55 since the outbreak began nearly two years ago. 116 are in hospital and one in ICU. 

It is a week since Ardern announced phase 2 of the Omicron response. The Ministry of Health has moved to more to rely more on rapid antigen testing as the PCR testing system came under pressure. 

Opposition parties Act and National have both called for the Government to review whether mandates were still needed, and how long for. 

National Party leader Christopher Luxon called on the PM to set out the criteria or a general timeline for when the mandates might ease. In an opinion piece on nzherald.co.nz this morning, Luxon said they were creating division in wider society and within families, and it was time the Government confronted the issue. 

Early this morning Police moved to install concrete barriers on the roads around the perimeter of the protest area in a bid to stop it getting larger. 

A statement from the groups representing many of the protesters to those protesters said the way that was done could have damaged attempts to engage with Police. 

"Police have for many days been talking about implementing a traffic management plan, but the way this action was carried out in the early hours was disappointing and counterproductive to maintaining positive relationships."