A further four people with confirmed COVID-19 have been identified in Taranaki since Friday, including the first person to be hospitalised at Taranaki Base Hospital.
A further four people with confirmed Covid-19 have been identified in Taranaki since Friday, including the first person to be hospitalised at Taranaki Base Hospital with the virus.
Taranaki now has a total of 11 confirmed cases.
Taranaki District Health Board's chief medical advisor, Dr Greg Simmons is appealing to people to stay in their bubbles .
"Please Taranaki, it's crucial that everyone stays in their bubble. Remain at home. This breaks the chain of infection and stops the virus spreading."
He says there is still no evidence of community transmission in Taranaki.
"All of our cases so far in Taranaki are in people returning home from overseas or are people in household settings who have caught the illness from those who have returned from overseas. There is, as yet, no evidence of community transmission."
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The health team is working on contacting anyone who has been in close contact with the 11 confirmed cases.
"Our Public Health team has made contact with all of the latest cases and are getting names and contact details for their close contacts."
The four newest Taranaki cases all involve recent travel, he says.
They consist of a 55-year-old male who has recently been to Europe, a 26-year-old make who has been to the UK, Dubai and Bali, a 71-year-old male who has been to the UK and a 31-year-old female who has also recently been overseas but no further details of her travel have been made public yet.
In total there are 83 new cases of Covid-19 confirmed in New Zealand overnight, bringing the current total of cases to 451.
Speaking at a press conference today, Director of Civil Defence Emergency Management Sarah Stuart-Black said while the number of cases overnight isn't a significant increase on yesterday's figure, the Government still expected the total number to continue to climb for some days.
She said 50 people have recovered from the virus so far.
The health board advises anyone experiencing Covid-19 symptoms to call the dedicated Healthline number: 0800 358 5453 for advise or to call their GP.
• Covid19.govt.nz: The Government's official Covid-19 advisory website
“Relying on overseas doctors to fill our rural workforce gaps is not sustainable."