Number of coronavirus cases in NZ increases by 67

The new cases were made up of 39 confirmed cases and 28 probable cases.

Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield gave the update on the number of cases today, adding that there were 13 people in hospital.

Three people are in intensive care, two in Auckland and one in Wellington. Two are in a stable condition and one is in a critical condition.

There are now 176 people who have recovered from the coronavirus.

Yesterday, 3709 Covid-19 tests were carried out, meaning nearly 40,000 people have been tested for Covid-19 in New Zealand. 

Testing capacity continues to increase, with there now being 65 community-based assessment centres throughout the country and 48 designated swabbing centres, Dr Bloomfield said.

Of the total 1106 confirmed cases, 43 per cent are linked to overseas travel, 38 per cent are close contacts of confirmed cases, two per cent are community transmission and the balance are still under investigation.

Seventy-three per cent of people who have Covid-19 in New Zealand are Europeans, 8.4 per cent are Asian, 7.8 per cent are Māori and 3.4 per cent are Pasifika. The ethnicities of the balance are unknown.

There are 12 significant clusters of Covid-19 infections. The ones with the highest numbers are the Marist College cluster in Auckland (72 cases), the Bluff wedding cluster (62) and the Matamata st Patrick’s Day cluster (58).

There is also a cluster of 15 people, including residents and staff, with Covid-19 at Rosewood Aged Residential Care in Christchurch.

Dr Bloomfield said since the cluster outbreak, 20 residents at the rest home have been moved to Burwood Hospital to be cared for, while the remaining residents – about 40 – will have a DHB staff member on site to help care for them and ensure appropriate measures are being taken, such as the correct personal protective equipment (PPE) is worn.

“Some of those remaining residents could be harbouring or incubating infections so we want to make sure that they are well cared for, so we are very alert to making sure that their wellbeing is the prime thing,” he said.

Dr Bloomfield also urged anyone feeling unwell to not delay seeking treatment for any condition. He advised people ring Healthline on 0800 611 116, or their GP first though. Anyone needing urgent care should call 111 for an ambulance.

“Please do not stop seeking care that you might need for any medical condition that you may have, whether it’s a new acute condition or an exacerbation of an existing condition.”