New Zealand’s third week in lockdown was it's most deadly, but as new case numbers continue to fall, NZ remains optimistic that Level 4 restrictions may be lifted on schedule.
Northland reports no new cases for six consecutive days as two more people died from the virus in the country yesterday.
None of the Northland Covid-19 patients are currently in hospital, 12 people are self-isolating in the community and 15 have now recovered.
Three of the Northland District Health Board's new mobile testing units started operating and have conducted 60 out of 186 tests carried out yesterday.
Outside of the Northland region, general director of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield confirmed that a Dunedin woman in her 60s and a man in his 70s from Rosewood Rest Home have died. Both had underlying health conditions.
The total number of Covid-19 cases in New Zealand remains at 1451 however, as the three cases reported yesterday have been reclassified as under investigation because they were possibly already counted in Uruguay's case total.
There are two new confirmed, and one new probable cases country-wide. They were all connected to existing cases.
Eight people are currently in hospital with Covid-19; one person is in the ICU in Middlemore.
One of the new deaths was of a 62-year-old Invercargill woman who has been fighting for her life in intensive care in Dunedin Hospital since April 7. The other was a man in his 70s from Christchurch's Rosewood rest home, where eight others have died from the virus.
Bloomfield said while dentists won't conduct routine dental care, emergency treatment would be possible under alert level 3. Similar, optometrists, podiatrists and physiotherapists could schedule urgent face-to-face appointments.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health is doing a stocktake of PPE, and how it's being rolled out across the country.
While some European countries, including Germany, have made face masks partially mandatory in public, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Bloomfield said New Zealand wasn't considering that.
During questioning time the issues around community checkpoints were raised. The Prime Minister said she was comfortable for them to continue operating as long as they were in line with Civil Defence and police rules.
"Only police and Civil Defence are able to lawfully stop people. I'm comfortable with the message I received from the police that they are working well with communities on the ground," she said.
