A new "mini cluster" of Covid-19 cases have been identified at a church in Mt Roskill, Auckland, where it's not clear whether it's linked to the wider Auckland outbreak.
Today Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield confirmed five cases linked to the Mount Roskill Evangelical Fellowship church.
They had been diagnosed within the last two or three days, he says.
"At this point they are all connected to each other but we have not found the link to the [wider Auckland] cluster and we are waiting for the whole genome sequencing," he says.
"We believe they will be linked to the cluster, but we do not have the epidemiological link [yet]... but they are like a mini cluster at the moment."
Three services and a wedding at the church on Stoddard Rd have been identified in relation to the five cases.
Auckland Regional Public Health Service (ARPHS) says anyone who attended the wedding on Friday, August 7, or the church services on August 8, 9 or 11 should get tested as soon as possible.
Both events were held before Auckland went into Alert Level 3 lockdown and before the first case from the wider Auckland cluster was publicly identified.
Those who attended the events and have experienced Covid-19 symptoms in the last two weeks are asked to isolate themselves at home as well as getting a test.
"This will help to provide assurance that they do not have Covid-19, or have not had it previously. It will also help us in our investigation," a spokesperson says.
Even if they're not symptomatic, Dr Bloomfield asks people who attended the events to get in touch with Healthline and pass on their information.
There are currently 134 active Covid-19 cases in New Zealand, with 113 from the community and the vast majority linked to the larger Auckland cluster.
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