Covid 19 coronavirus Delta outbreak: Three new cases in Wellington

The Beehive during alert level 4. Photo / Mark Mitchell

There are three new cases of Covid-19 in the community in Wellington today, bringing the total number of cases in the capital to 11.

Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson and director general of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield provided an update on the Delta outbreak in New Zealand this afternoon.

Bloomfield said all of the three new Wellington cases were known close contacts of existing cases.

The cases were first identified two evenings ago but only appeared in the official numbers today, Bloomfield said.

Yesterday he described Wellington's cases as "reassuring", with all of them having been linked and all but one in isolation throughout their infectious period.

Bloomfield said about 2500 tests were processed in Wellington yesterday. There are 11 community testing centres open in the capital today, as well as primary care general practice testing.

There were no unexpected detections in the most recent wastewater test results available, Bloomfield said.

The only positive results outside of Auckland have been at Wellington's Moa Point, which has been the case over recent days, he said.

Six of Wellington's cases are connected with a service at the Samoan Assembly of God church in Māngere. This event has emerged as a cluster within the outbreak.

Those six cases are either people who were at the service, or household contacts, or other close contacts, Bloomfield said.

A couple out on a bike ride at Waikanae Beach on day two of lockdown. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Last night, Victoria University vice-chancellor Grant Guilford emailed staff and students to advise them a staff member had tested positive for the virus.

The person was a close contact of two previously confirmed cases in Wellington, Guilford said.

"Regional Public Health has advised that based on prior negative tests, they were not infectious until last Friday, when we were all at alert level 4.

"As a result, there are no locations of interest related to the staff member at the university. We are keeping in close touch with the staff member and providing them with support. "

Five people were caught drink-driving on Monday in the capital, as well as 87 speeding infringements issued, according to Wellington Police.

The Te Papa testing station in Wellington. Photo / Mark Mitchell

One of these drivers was travelling at more than 130km/h.

Wellington police have caught hundreds of instances of speeding since the country went into alert level 4 nearly a week ago.

On the first day of lockdown, 111 infringements were issued to motorists for speeding, with one driver travelling at 160km/h and several others caught at 130km/h and 145km/h.

Meanwhile, the owner of Island Bay Butchery claims it's safer to buy meat from a butcher's shop than at the supermarket.

Under alert level 4 butchers can only do online deliveries and are not allowed to open their stores to the public.

There are growing calls for that to change. The head of one of New Zealand's major supermarket companies supports butchers - and other food supply businesses - opening during level 4 restrictions if there is a firm safety strategy in place.

Island Bay Butchery owner Krissy Mackintosh said it was actually safer than a supermarket.

She said in a supermarket many customers touched the packets compared to a butcher's shop where only the butcher handled the meat.