The Director-General of Health has announced there are no new Covid-19 cases in New Zealand today.
Speaking at today's Government media conference, Dr Ashley Bloomfield said there have been no deaths from coronavirus since yesterday's update. The death toll remains at 21.
Today's announcement means New Zealand's total number of people who have or have had Covid-19, including probable cases, remains at 1497. The number of confirmed cases - the number New Zealand gives to the World Health Organisation and compares with other nations - is still 1147.
Of those cases, Dr Bloomfield confirmed 1402 people have recovered, up 4 on yesterday for 94 per cent of all cases. A recovered case means the person is symptom free for at least 48 hours and it has been at least 10 days since they first became ill.
Dr Bloomfield added there are two people in hospitals throughout the country with the virus, none of whom are in intensive care.
There are still 16 significant Covid-19 clusters around the country. A significant cluster is a group of 10 or more people who have or have had the coronavirus. Four have been closed so far.
The Ministry of Health says on its website closed means there is no longer transmission of the virus within, or associated with the cluster after a total of 28 consecutive days – or two incubation periods for the virus – since its most recent onset date of a reported case.
No new cases and deaths have been reported today.
Yesterday, 5961 Covid-19 tests were carried out in New Zealand, bringing the total to 203,045 so far.
Dr Bloomfield said Kiwis need to remain on alert now as the country prepares to shift to Alert Level 2 overnight, warning we didn't want to take backwards steps like other nations have recently.
"At Level 2, it's vital we continue to model the personal behaviours that are going to keep Covid-19 out of New Zealand and out of our communities," Dr Bloomfield said.
"Today's figures reinforce that we are on the right path, that we are maintaining the gains made during Alert Levels 4 and 3 and we're heading for success but as you will have seen overnight from other jurisdictions, this is a stubborn virus and we don't want to go down the path where we see spikes again."
In South Korea, 34 additional cases of Covid-19 were reported over the past 24 hours after a spate of transmissions were linked to clubgoers despite the hard-won gains the country had made in its fight against the virus so far.
Dr Bloomfield said New Zealand can't afford that speedbump.
"We need to remain vigilant," he said.
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