The Ministry of Health has announced there are two new Covid-19 cases in New Zealand today.
It said there have been no more death from coronavirus since yesterday's update. The death toll remains at 20.
The new Covid-19 cases were made up of two confirmed cases and no probable cases. The Ministry of Health said both cases are linked to the St Margaret’s Hospital & Rest Home cluster in Auckland and are household contacts of an employee at the rest home.
The information was released electronically as no Government media conferences have been scheduled this weekend.
In the electronic release, Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield has reinforced the need for people to continue to act in line with the Alert Level 3 expectations or risk delaying a move to Level 2.
"It’s crucial that all New Zealanders stay vigilant and follow the guidelines of physical distancing, keeping to our bubbles, practising good hand hygiene and if you’re unwell, staying away from others and seeking medical advice," Dr Bloomfield said.
“Today’s numbers are encouraging but we can’t take them for granted. As I said last week, we all have a part to play.
"We’re now nearly a week into Level 3 and while there could be some excuses early on, everyone should now be more familiar with the rules, both around increased retail activity and our own social interactions.
“It’s been concerning to see some behaviours continue into the weekend and ultimately, this could slow a move to Level 2.
“Continuing to be vigilant will be key in supporting a move down to Level 2 as soon as possible.”
Today's cases bring New Zealand's total number of people who have or have had Covid-19, as well as probable cases, to 1487. The number of confirmed cases - which New Zealand gives to the World Health Organisation - is 1136.
Of those cases, the Ministry of Health said 1266 people have recovered, an increase of three from yesterday for 85 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.
The Ministry of Health added there are eight 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. Three have been closed so far but the ministry expects to close more in the coming days.
Yesterday, 4634 Covid-19 tests were carried out in New Zealand, bringing the total to 150,223 so far.
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