Coronavirus: Churches say it's time they were allowed to fully reopen

Churches say it's time they were allowed to reopen their doors alongside bars and shopping malls.

New Zealand recorded another day of no new deaths and no new cases on Sunday and there's been a total of just one case this week.

With only 27 known, active cases across the country, churches say it's safe.

After another quiet Sunday and another day of online services, churches are ready to bring people closer together.

"We would love to, we would really really love to, we're all geared up, we're getting organised to do that but we wait in anticipation for tomorrow," Manukau Baptist Church pastor Suz Holmes says.

Church services are currently limited to 10 but LIFE's church can hold 2000.

LIFE senior pastor Paul de Jong says they're being unfairly marginalised.

"If other sectors of society are being allowed to meet, with the appropriate social distancing and measures, well then why can't the church do that?" he asks.

People mingled in malls on Sunday, and schools and bars have been allowed to reopen. And larger churches are confident they too can operate safely.

Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield has indicated he'll recommend the Government consider larger gatherings on Monday.

But there's been some confusion this week. Police put out new guidelines on Friday suggesting that larger places of worship can hold services of more than 10 people, so long as groups stay at least two-metres apart.

Too little notice for today, but LIFE says it would have gone ahead today if it had known.

"It would be quite easy in groups of 10 we could have people register their group of 10 so that we already know they're arriving, they're seating," de Jong says.

"These seats we can space and have a completely empty row so there would be two metres between each group of 10." 

There's a reason to remain cautious. In Frankfurt, Germany, where there were demonstrations against coronavirus restrictions, 40 cases have been linked to a church service in the city.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has demanded the reopening of churches, mosques and synagogues, classing them as "essential services" and threatening to override state governors.

Here it's not just churches adding pressure. Businesses say they're hurting under level 2 and need more clarity about the future.

"They need to know and have certainty and clarity over the rules for level 1, but not just the rules, when they might be able to move to level 1 and level 0 so they can really start to open up,"  BusinessNZ CEO Kirk Hope says.

All are praying tomorrow's briefing will bring some answers.