The new normal is mind boggling, leaving us all shell shocked after less than a week that feels like a year.

But clearly there's even worse to come, with Winston Peters telling Kiwis travelling abroad, and there are around 80,000 of them, to come home before it's too late.

Reading between the lines doesn't bear thinking about. Does it mean the borders will be shut down completely? If that happens there'll be no flights into or out of the country and Kiwis abroad will be grounded.

Ardern tells us to keep calm, don't panic, be prepared. For what?