New Zealand has marked another day of no new Covid-19 cases as the country adjusts to life in level 2. Two people remain in hospital.
New Zealand has marked another day of no new Covid-19 cases as the country adjusts to life in level 2.
However the total number of confirmed cases has increased by four because the people who returned from Uruguay were originally counted in that country's numbers, but will instead be included in New Zealand's tally.
Those four people had now recovered, director general of health Ashley Bloomfield told reporters this afternoon.
More than 3000 Covid-19 tests were conducted yesterday, Bloomfield said. The testing of asymptomatic people was continuing.
Digital diary app launches tomorrow
A digital diary app that allows users to track their movements themselves will be available for download tomorrow, when Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will explain what life will look like at alert level 1.
The low levels of Covid-19 in the community was a factor in his previous advice that members of the public did not need to wear masks.
Bloomfield said it was too premature to discuss what exactly needed to happen to move to alert level 1.
He confirmed it was possible that some regions could move to alert level 1 before others, but there wasn't any evidence that cases had cropped up around the country.
Bloomfield said "there was still a long way go" to get to alert level 1 and the most likely way cases could be introduced into New Zealand was if we relaxed our border with Australia.
It wasn't the number of cases that was the concern but instead that a case could not be traced.
Transtasman travel bubble
On the issue of a transtasman travel bubble, Bloomfield said Australia having community transmission cases would not necessarily be a deal breaker, provided those cases were contained and traceable.
But it would be a concern if there was uncontrolled community transmission.
Health officials were looking at flights crews not having to comply with 14-day quarantine requirements. This issue was being continually reviewed and was part of the discussions about the transtasman bubble.
"We're actively reviewing it at the moment."
It would also have to be in line with Australia's border policy.
Bloomfield said he was "feeling confident" about our country's testing supplies as they were higher now than they had ever been.
"I think we're in a really good position here."
New Zealand wasn't facing the supply issues like other countries because we ramped up our testing early, he said.
Overnight Bloomfield participated in the opening session of the World Health Assembly meeting. He said all countries had the same theme of a need for a strong response to Covid-19.
The timing for the independent evaluation of the pandemic has yet to be announced. Meanwhile the strong focus was on continuing to fight the outbreak now, said Bloomfield.
Yesterday there were no new cases, with the total number of confirmed and probable cases remaining at 1499.
Ardern is at Te Puia New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute for a series of discussions on how the region is coping following the alert level lockdowns and the plan for the future.
Some shops in Remuera are taking shoppers' details for contact tracing. Photo / Dean Purcell
She is accompanied by Māori Development Minister Nanaia Mahuta, Tourism Minister Kelvin Davis and Waiariki MP Tāmati Coffey.
