Covid-19 coronavirus: Christchurch cluster linked to rest home

The largest coronavirus cluster in Christchurch is linked to a rest home.

Two new significant clusters of the virus were announced today in Auckland and Christchurch, with the Ministry of Health website stating it wasn't clear where the initial infections originated.

Ten people are infected in the Christchurch cluster and the Auckland cluster has 13 cases - four of which were confirmed in the past day.

A Canterbury District Health Board spokeswoman confirmed the Christchurch cluster was linked to a rest home in the city, but that did not mean all of the cases were in the home.

She would not name the rest home.

Eighty-six Cantabrians have now tested positive for the virus, with 20 new cases, and the first cluster, announced in the past day. None are in hospital.

Two Christchurch rest home residents tested positive for Covid-19 last week. Both residents were in isolation and receiving medical treatment on site.

The total number of Covid-19 cases in New Zealand today ticked over 1000 people to 1039.

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Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield announced 89 new cases of coronavirus in New Zealand since yesterday - 48 confirmed cases and 41 probable cases.

There are 15 people in hospital, including three in ICU; one in Wellington and two in Auckland, with two in a critical condition.

Only information about "significant" clusters of 10 or more people is being published on the Ministry of Health website, with 12 such clusters across New Zealand.

They may not be new or recent cases, but have been linked because they have been in the same place.

The country's biggest cluster is linked to Marist College, an Auckland girls' high school. That cluster has 66 cases, up six from Saturday.

The next-biggest is linked to a wedding in Bluff, and has three new cases since yesterday. There are now 58 cases associated with the March 21 wedding, held before large gatherings were banned.

And 56 cases are associated with a St Patrick's Day celebration at the Redoubt Bar in Matamata, Waikato.

• Covid19.govt.nz: The Government's official Covid-19 advisory website