A national memorial service for the victims of the Christchurch quake will be held on March 18, New Zealand Prime Minister John Key says.
Key said 200,000 houses will need to be demolished following the quake.
"The service will allow people the chance to reflect on the terrible loss of life suffered as a result of the earthquake and the huge impact it has had on our second-largest city," Key said.
"This is an opportunity for Christchurch to mourn together. It will also be a chance to celebrate the lives of those who have been lost."
Key said the government would make the day a public holiday in the South Island's Canterbury region, in which Christchurch is the main city.
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He said the service would be held at North Hagley Park in Christchurch at 12.45pm local time (1045 AEDT) on Friday, March 18.
Two minutes' silence would be observed from 12.51pm, the time the deadly magnitude 6.3 quake struck on February 22. Key said the service would be "a beginning, not an end".
"While we will never forget those who have been lost, we must now focus that indomitable Canterbury spirit on the future," he said.
The prime minister added that flags on government buildings would be raised at half-mast from 12.51pm local time on Tuesday to mark the exact time two weeks ago the devastating quake struck.
The national state of emergency imposed after the quake will be extended on Monday and is likely to be in place for some time, Key said earlier today.
