15 new cases of Covid-19 in NZ

Ministry of Health director of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield says there are 15 new confirmed and probable cases of Covid-19.

Of those cases 6 are confirmed cases and 9 are probable cases, Dr Bloomfield said.

There are no further deaths due to the virus, he said.

He said there were 770 total recoveries from the virus which was up by 42 since yesterday.

The total number of confirmed and probable cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand since the outbreak began is now at 1401.

The number of cases of Covid-19 by district health board. Image: Ministry of Health
The number of cases of Covid-19 by district health board. Image: Ministry of Health
There are 12 people in hospital, three are in intensive care and two of those are in a critical condition, he said.

Four per cent of cases now classified as "under investigation" and 23 cases since March 24 are in that category.

Five of those cases are due to overseas exposure and 13 are connected to known cases.

Four are now classified as "community-acquired" and one case from yesterday is still under investigation

This detailed information on the sources of infection will form part of the decision to lift the country out of lockdown, Bloomfield said.

300 people at a supermarket in Queenstown are being swabbed today for sentinel testing.

There are no new significant clusters, so the total stands at 16.

A post-mortem is underway for the man who died in Invercargill thought to be coronavirus-related, Bloomfield said.

Comments

Too too early to come out of Lockdown 4. We are still getting transmission and need to see zero days of no new infections. Wasted money otherwise - we've winter to go yet.