There are are 18,883 new community cases of Covid-19 to report today, including 558 in the Southern DHB area.
The number is a decrease in daily cases from recent days where we reported cases above 20,000, the ministry said.
"While decreases in cases can be encouraging, the Ministry of Health urges caution. We are expecting cases to jump around, and are continuing to see increases in COVID-19 related hospitalisations.
"Additionally, public health officials consider that one possible reason for the decrease in cases could be related to people not self-reporting Rapid Antigen Test results.
"The Ministry of Health would like to remind everyone to self-report both positive and negative results for RATs through My Covid Record, to help health officials understand the size and trends of the outbreak. People who need help recording their result can also call 0800 222 478. We would also like to remind parents and caregivers to report test results for their children via the 0800 number."
The locations and number of new cases are: (PCR & RAT): Northland (483), Auckland (9,789), Waikato (1,575), Bay of Plenty (1,222), Lakes (459), Hawke’s Bay (327), MidCentral (417), Whanganui (95), Taranaki (264), Tairāwhiti (153), Wairarapa (94), Capital and Coast (1,308), Hutt Valley (576), Nelson Marlborough (258), Canterbury (1,170), South Canterbury (57), Southern (558), West Coast (17); Unknown (11).
Today's confirmed cases takes the total number of active cases in New Zealand to 206,827.
There are 597 people with Covid-19 in hospital, 5 of these are in the South. There are 10 people in ICU or HDU.
The Ministry if Health also confirmed five people with the virus had died.
"Of these, two were being cared for at North Shore Hospital, two at Middlemore Hospital and one at Auckland City Hospital.
"Three of the patients were in their 80s, one was in their 70s and one was in their 60s. Three were male and two were female."
It was not confirmed whether they died of Covid or unrelated medical conditions.
Yesterday it was reported five people with the virus had died. All five (one in Tauranga, one in Dunedin, one in Waikato and two in Auckland) had tested positive but died of unrelated medical conditions.
On Thursday, a person in Bay of Plenty who had Covid died of an unrelated medical condition while in palliative care.
