2 New Cases Of COVID-19

Today we have two new COVID-19 cases to report.

One is a new confirmed case in quarantine in Auckland and one is a probable case.

In addition to this we have also reclassified a previous probable case as confirmed. This person had contact with another known case.

This means our total for confirmed cases is 1,126 and total for probable cases is 348. It brings the current total of confirmed and probable cases to 1,474.

We will report the confirmed case numbers of 1,126 to the World Health Organization.

There are no additional deaths to report.

There were 2,637 tests completed yesterday, with a combined total to date of 128,073.

Of our cases, 1,229 are reported as recovered – an increase of 15 on yesterday. 83% of all confirmed and probable cases are considered recovered.

There are 6 people in hospital, a decrease of 3 from yesterday. We have no one currently in ICU.

There are still 16 significant clusters, no change from yesterday.

Alert Level 3

Two days into Alert Level 3, the Director-General of Health has reinforced the importance of the key health messages which will help continue the fight against COVID-19.

"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.

"As commercial activity resumes, this also applies to businesses and retailers who’re now interacting with the public again.

"Yesterday some aspects of Level 3 were a little like the first day after the summer school holidays with people getting used to a new way of doing things. This led to a few instances of behaviours and practices which weren’t quite as they need to be.

"For instance, food retailers must make sure they’re providing the appropriate environment for their customers. As an example, queueing for takeaways can’t occur in a random or haphazard way. Food retailers must provide clear guidelines and instructions around this to customers and staff and are responsible for ensuring these are followed.

"The section 70 notice I talked about yesterday does make it clear that if necessary under Level 3, we retain the ability to close non-compliant premises. The prohibitions on gatherings also remain.

"For the most part yesterday worked well, we just have a few things to iron out. No one wants to return to Level 4 and we all have a part to play."

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 get tested.

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