2 New Cases Of COVID-19

Today we have two new confirmed cases of COVID-19 to report and no new probable cases.

Both of today’s cases can be linked to the St Margaret’s Hospital & Rest Home cluster in Auckland. Both cases are household contacts of an employee at the rest home.

The total of confirmed and probable cases is 1,487.

There are no additional deaths to report.

New Zealand’s total number of confirmed cases is 1,136. This is the number we report to the World Health Organization and in many instances this is the number reported publicly by other countries.

There were 4,634 tests completed yesterday, with a combined total to date of 150,223.

Of our cases, 1,266 are reported as recovered – an increase of 3 on yesterday. 85% of all confirmed and probable cases are now considered as recovered.

There are eight people in hospital, none in ICU.

There are still 16 significant clusters.

Three of these clusters are now considered closed as there is no longer transmission of the virus associated with the cluster. A COVID-19 cluster is considered closed after a total of 28 consecutive days – or two incubation periods for the virus – since its most recent report date of a reported case.

The three closed clusters are the Wellington wedding cluster and the two clusters linked with group travel to the United States – one in Wellington and the other in Auckland.

Alert Level 3

Almost a week into Level 3, the Director-General of Health has reinforced the need for people to continue to act in line with the Level 3 expectations.

"It’s crucial that all New Zealanders stay vigilant and follow the guidelines of physical distancing, keeping to our bubbles, practicing good hand hygiene and if you’re unwell, staying away from others and seeking medical advice," says Dr Ashley Bloomfield.

“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,” says Dr Bloomfield.

One key message around physical distancing for businesses is to keep at least 1 metre between workers and 2 metres from customers or the public.

Overall: stay home, save lives – this remains the number one rule for Alert Level 3.

And of course, if you’re sick, you must stay home. Contact your GP or Healthline and ask about getting tested.

ENDS

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