New Zealand has 14 new cases of Covid-19, bringing the total number of cases to 66. Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield says there are four probable cases.
There are now more than 300,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 13,000 deaths worldwide. But while New Zealand still seems like a relative safe haven, the 14 cases of Covid-19 announced today were spread all over the country.
Most are still linked to overseas travel, but experts fear community transmission is already out there. They are calling for more testing - as new models offer a stark warning of what could happen if our hospital capacity is overwhelmed.
The latest on New Zealand's cases - are we doing enough?
• New Zealand has 14 new cases of Covid-19, spread from Northland to Dunedin, bringing the total to 66. Eleven are directly linked to overseas travel,, one is a close contact of an infected person, and two attended an international cattle conference in Queenstown.
But there are two people for whom the source of the disease is unknown - meaning we could have community transmission.
• With that in mind, experts are urging the Government to keep ramping up testing for the disease, saying it's our best chance of stopping the contagion getting out of hand.
• It comes as the latest modelling shows if New Zealand did nothing to control Covid-19, the number of people needing intensive care would be about 10x the capacity of our hospitals. The Ministry of Health says it's aware of the risk - it's upping ICU capacity and has created the four-stage alert system to help contain the virus.
If New Zealand did nothing to contain the Covid-19 coronavirus our intensive care capacity could be overwhelmed by 10 times, a new model shows. Photo / File
• Yesterday, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced a new four-level alert system showing the seriousness of the outbreak in New Zealand and the steps being taken to stop it spreading. We're still at Level 2 - but thousands of front-line health workers and other medical staff have signed a petition demanding a move straight to Level 4. They say "drastic measures" - quarantines and total social lockdowns - are our best way to beat the virus.
• Our lifestyles have changed dramatically in a fortnight. The Government is asking over 70s and immune-compromised people to stay home, but many people are taking things a step further to avoid spreading the virus - including livestreaming funerals and making them invite-only.
• Business are also taking the self-isolation rules seriously - reporting tourists to police if they fail to respect the new restrictions introduced last week.
If you're stuck in self-isolation at least you can give the house a deep clean. Stock photo / 123RF
• If you're feeling a bit powerless to do anything - or are stuck at home in self-isolation - you could always clean the house. Here's a primer on how to clean your house to prevent the spread of coronavirus and other infections.
Global pandemic continues
While New Zealand is still in a good position to combat the virus, grim news continues overseas. There have now been more than 300,000 confirmed cases across the world, and more than 13,000 deaths. The UK, Spain and Italy are among countries seeing a rapid escalation in cases.
• New Zealanders trying to get back to the relative safe haven of home are finding it increasingly hard to get home as borders close and flights are cut. One New Zealander trapped in Argentina told the Herald of his mad dash to catch Air NZ's last flight out of the country.
• But there are also great stories showcasing the human spirit - like the man who ran a marathon on his 7m balcony in France while in lockdown. It took him more than six hours.
