There will be enough Covid vaccines for everyone in New Zealand - but Kiwis will need to be patient in some cases, Associate Health Minister Ayesha Verrall says.
In total about 232,000 vaccine doses have been administered so far.
There have been 172,564 people who have had first doses, and about 60,024 who have had both doses.
In the past seven days, there were 47,981 vaccine doses administered.
There are no new community cases to report today, and two cases in managed isolation facilities. The two cases travelled from the United States and Japan.
All close contacts of the Auckland Airport worker infected earlier this month have now returned negative tests.
Director general of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield said there were no new clues as to how the airport worker who cleaned a plane carrying passengers from high-risk countries was infected.
Bloomfield said 488 applications had been received from Sport NZ - including Black Caps and Olympians - for early vaccinations, as well as seven applications from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
Verrall is hosting an update on this country's Covid vaccine rollout, along with Bloomfield.
She said the vaccine rollout was currently three per cent ahead of schedule. Northland DHB was running behind schedule, and a bigger effort to use the vaccines available there is underway.
Patience would be required fo the nationwide rollout, partly because a two-week gap between the flu vaccine and the Covid-19 vaccine was recommended, Verrall said.
An extra 2000 to 3000 full-time vaccinators will be needed for the rollout when it ramps up from July. More GPs, pharmacies and urgent care facilities will be able to vaccinate people from July, she said.
Brochures about this roll-out are being delivered to letter boxes.
Verrall said she received her second dose of the vaccine on Friday, and she had quite a sore arm after hitting the gym afterwards and a slight rash.
Traveller from Perth arrived in NZ despite lockdown
It was revealed yesterday that a New Zealander was able to board a plane in Perth while the Western Australian city was in lockdown, and then fly to Auckland via Sydney even though transtasman flights from that state were meant to be on hold.
Bloomfield said the man who boarded a plane in Perth while the city was in lockdown was still being investigated.
"Any person who enters NZ who is ineligible for quarantine free travel is required to isolate for 14 days."
A fine up to $4000 or six months' jail is the penalty for breaching the Air Border order, he said.
The risk from the person's travel to New Zealand was "low", and he had not attended any of the locations of interest in Perth.
The Covid-19 response relied on people following the rules, he said.
Verrall said the bubble with Perth had just been reopened, the risk was low from the traveller, and he "was detected".
Bloomfield added that the system picked up about 70 people who were prevented from travelling to New Zealand.
He said the person was now in a managed isolation facility.
Earlier today Immigration NZ manager Peter Elms said the breach was found during routine passenger checks after the man arrived in New Zealand on Monday.
The passenger is now self-isolating in Northland.
"He had left the airport by the time we realised that that was a passenger that had come from Perth and was ineligible," Elms told RNZ.
The ministry said the public health safety risk was assessed as low.
NZ to give $1 million to Covid-ravaged India
Meanwhile Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta has just announced that New Zealand will contribute $1 million to the International Federation of the Red Cross to assist India in its response to surging cases there.
"We stand in solidarity with India at this difficult time, and commend the tireless efforts of India's frontline medics and healthcare workers who are working hard to save lives," Mahuta said.
Some $1m will be donated to the International Federation of the Red Cross to assist India while it responds to the current surge in Covid-19 cases
The Covid-19 situation in India has progressively been getting worse over the last few months.
On Sunday, the country recorded the worst single-day increase in cases in any country since the pandemic began, with 352,991 new infections; it also reported 2771 Covid-19 deaths.
"We believe a contribution to an international organisation that has a reputation for delivery is the most practical assistance we can make to India at this time," Mahuta said.
"This is a distressing and challenging time for the people of India and we will work alongside the international community as we work to combat the debilitating impact of Covid-19 on the health of our people."
She added that the New Zealand Government would continue to monitor the situation and "stands ready" to assist the Indian Government.
"[We] extend our deepest sympathies to the whānau and friends of those who have had their lives cut short by this terrible virus,"
The International Federation Red Cross (IFRC) is working directly with the local Indian Red Cross Society to provide oxygen cylinders, oxygen concentrators, and other crucial medical supplies.
The IFRC is also looking at scaling up emergency operations across India by providing intensified ambulance and blood service, and distributing personal protective equipment and hygiene kits to communities in need.
Verrall said the situation unfolding in India is "extremely distressing".
