Of the eight Omicron cases, two were in a bubble but the other six cases were unrelated to each other suggesting no cross-contamination or cross-infection either in-flight or within MIQ facilities, the ministry said.
"We are carrying out whole genome sequencing on all new border cases of Covid-19 to rapidly identify any new cases of the Omicron variant," the ministry said.
All passengers on flights with Omicron cases were required to complete 10 days at a managed isolation facility – rather than spending the last three days at home, the ministry said.
"Our health and MIQ teams around the country have been planning for Omicron cases at the border and will continue to manage all arrivals cautiously."
Of the 39 new community cases, 25 are in Auckland, 11 in the Bay of Plenty, two in Lakes and one in Taranaki.
The new Bay of Plenty cases featured eight in Tauranga and three in the Western Bay of Plenty. Initial investigations showed the Western Bay of Plenty cases and three of the Tauranga cases appeared to be linked to existing cases, the ministry said.
The two new infected people in the Lakes district were based in Rotorua.
The Taranaki case was linked to the Eltham cluster.
Forty-nine infected people remain in hospital yesterday. There are five infected people in intensive care or high dependency units. Two are in Auckland, two are at Middlemore and one is at North Shore.
Of the patients at Northern region hospitals, 24 (59 per cent) were unvaccinated or not eligible, six (15 per cent) were partially immunised and nine (22 per cent) were fully vaccinated. The vaccination status of the remaining two (5 per cent) was unknown.
Meanwhile, Dr Matire Harwood of the Papakura Marae Health Clinic said the death of a young Auckland boy was "tragic and sobering"
The ministry confirmed on Friday afternoon that a child between the age of zero and nine had died while infected with Covid.
It is not clear if the child, believed to be a Māori boy from Counties Manukau, had any underlying medical conditions that may have contributed to his death.
The family of the young child who died with Covid-19 didn't know their loved one was infected until after they had died. The ministry has said the child under the age of 10 died earlier this week and tested positive for Covid after dying.
They were a contact of an identified case but was not a known Covid-19 case before the time of death.
The death remained under investigation and has been referred to the coroner, a ministry spokesperson said.
Harwood said: "Although people have been saying Covid is mild, for children with asthma and other respiratory conditions it can be really severe and we know our Māori and Pacific have higher rates of those conditions."
She said it was critical that we do all we can to prevent children getting the virus.
"The vaccine is the best tool and the sooner we get that into all communities and before school starts the better."
There have now been 49 people who have died since Covid-19 arrived on our shores last year.
Recorded Covid deaths include all cases where a person was classified as having an active case of the virus at the time of death. In some of these cases, the underlying cause of death may have been unrelated to Covid-19.
