Pharmac has widened criteria to access three Covid-19 medicines,

It comes as a new anti-viral drug - molnupiravir - arrives in the country - with access to it and and two other drugs widened.

Updated criteria includes people with down syndrome, sickle cell disease, over 65s and those who haven't had the full course of Covid-19 vaccines.

Pharmac Chief Medical Officer Dr David Hughes says modelling suggests about 75 to 100-thousand more people will be eligible.

He says these people are still at the higher end of the risk spectrum for severe illness with Covid - but it's a significant widening of access criteria.