Monday marks the opening day of stage one of New Zealand's border re-opening where Kiwis can return from Australia.

The difference is now they can now skip managed isolation and quarantine in favour of self-isolating for seven days.

It comes after the Ministry of Health announced another record day of cases with 14,941 new infections and 305 people in hospital on Sunday while a patient also died with COVID.

Kiwis will be able to purchase Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs) from the supermarket from next week. 

Aqua Works

Foodstuffs North Island chief executive Chris Quin told Newstalk ZB on Monday that there were several hundred thousand RATs on their way and he expects them to be on the shelves next week. 

He said they would cost shoppers $32.99 for a five-pack, which equals out to $6.60 per test. 

"We made a commitment at the beginning to sell these at our cost," Quin told Newstalk ZB.

"We think our customers would really appreciate having them available."

He said supply chain and warehouse teams were feeling quite a bit of pressure, especially in Auckland.

"The guys are working miracles every day to keep up and to keep delivering."

• COVID cases in hospital on Sunday: total number 305 - 110 are in Middlemore, 100 in Auckland, 45 in North Shore, 34 in Waikato, five in Tauranga, three in Taranaki, three in Canterbury, three in Southern and two in Northland. 
• Five cases hospitalised were in ICU on Sunday.
• There was a record day of cases in New Zealand on Sunday with 14,941 infections. 
• Location of new community cases on Sunday (PCR & RAT test): 9046 are in Auckland, 1519 in Waikato, 981 in Canterbury, 812 in Bay of Plenty, 532 in Southern, 516 Capital and Coast, 373 in Hutt Valley, 208 in Lakes, 158 in Nelson Marlborough, 142 in MidCentral, 136 in Hawke's Bay, 100 in Taranaki, 69 in Tairāwhiti, 45 in Wairarapa, 44 in South Canterbury, nine in West Coast and five unknown.
• New Zealand is in Omicron phase 3 where only positive cases and household contacts are considered close contacts. 
• Anti-mandate protests outside Parliament have entered day 21.
• There were "at least" seven positive COVID-19 cases among the Wellington protesters, the Ministry of Health said on Sunday.