The Government is holding an urgent Cabinet meeting to discuss the trans-Tasman bubble on Thursday afternoon.

The news comes as the Covid-19 Delta variant continues to play havoc across Australia, with about half of the population in some form of lockdown and 150 new community cases reported in the last 24 hours.

Stuff understands a complete pause on the bubble is a possible outcome.

The Prime Minister's Office says the meeting has been planned for some days and an update on any decisions made will be provided on Friday.

Cabinet usually only meets on Mondays - and not in the middle of recess weeks.

'Cabinet is meeting to check in on the arrangements with Australia, given the situation there,” the Prime Minister's Office says in a statement.

'This has been planned for several days and we will give an update on this discussion on Friday.”

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who is on leave this week, will be chairing the meeting as usual. It will be a virtual meeting as many ministers are on leave around the country.

The Government has already paused travel with New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia.

New Zealand has operated a Quarantine-Free trans-Tasman bubble with Australia for months, but parts of it have been shut for more than half of the time as Australia has small community outbreaks have popped up.

-Stuff.