Associate Health Minister Aupito William Sio says there's a low risk to public health after two people in separate visits to Auckland's Middlemore Hospital on Wednesday night tested positive for Covid-19.
Speaking on Breakfast on Friday, he noted the new cases reflected the long tail of cases commonly associated with the Delta variant.
"What we're seeing is how Delta behaves, it's more infectious, more aggressive, and we're seeing a long tail because of that."
He added that the Government is working closely with the Auckland Regional Health Service to determine the source of infection and prevent a spike in cases following the exposure event.
A total of 66 people have been identified as close contacts, having been in the hospital when either patient was admitted to the emergency department.
While many of those contacts have been discharged and are now self-isolating, 34 were moved to isolation wards of Middlemore Hospital.
Sio admitted he had been "worried" after hearing about the Middlemore cases but says health officials' advice has helped reassure that a public health risk is low.
"As a non-clinical person I was worried but those who know what they're talking about, they give us a sense of confidence," he said.
"Just because we've gone down to Level 3 doesn't mean we sit back and take it easy."
He's encouraging people to "take their part" in helping to stamp out Covid-19 by getting tested.
"Everybody needs to take their part and those suburbs of interest when the cases are happening; we're inviting those people to get tested and just making sure that we're protecting everybody."
Sio acknowledged that an important factor in helping to contain the outbreak was engaging with affected vulnerable communities by working alongside local healthcare providers.
He said that some of those affected may not engage with the traditional health system so adopting a "collaborative" approach is vital.
"This is the reason why it's important for our officials to be working very, very closely with our iwi and Pacific-based providers," he said.
"These are people who will prioritise their familiy, their economic needs over their personal health and so we are working with providers who know the people, who are trusted by the people."
Sio said an all encompassing approach to the Delta outbreak was an important factor in encouraging people to get vaccinated and tested alongside cooperating with health officials.
"They provide a bespoke approach to this, it's not just a health approach, it's inclusive of social wrap-around support."
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