In the first day of Alert Level 3 there were three new Covid-19 cases announced in New Zealand by Dr Ashley Bloomfield.
Speaking at today's Covid-19 press conference, the Director-General of Health said no further people have died from Covid-19 in New Zealand since yesterday's update. The death toll remains at 19.
The new Covid-19 cases were made up of two confirmed cases and one probable case. Two of those are linked to known cases, with one still being investigated.
New Zealand's total number of people who have or have had Covid-19, including probable cases, is 1472. The number of confirmed cases, which is the number New Zealand gives to the World Health Organisation and compares with other nations, is 1124.
Of those cases, now 1214 people have recovered, up 34 on yesterday which is 82 per cent. A recovered case means the person is symptom free for at least 48 hours and it has been at least 10 days since they first became ill.
There are nine people in hospitals throughout the country with the virus, with one person in intensive care at Auckland's Middlemore Hospital.
There are still 16 significant Covid-19 clusters around the country. A significant cluster is a group of 10 or more people who have or have had the coronavirus.
Yesterday, 2146 Covid-19 tests were carried out in New Zealand - lower than previous days which reflects the Anzac Day public holiday. In total, over 126,000 tests have been carried out in New Zealand.
Dr Bloomfield said while he was one of many people picking up a takeaway coffee today, it's important not to congregate outside restaurants or other businesses.
"There will be a temptation, you see your friends, you haven't seen them for a few weeks, whether you're congregating for a coffee or takeaways, to just want to catch up and the physical distancing thing remains very important," he said.
"We've got used to doing it in Level 4, and it's imperative to maintain it through Alert Level 3."
Dr Bloomfield said, "we have achieved what we set out to achieve under Alert Level 4 as part of our overall goal of elimination.
"We will still see cases of Covid-19 under an elimination goal, that just means that it is not completely eradicated.
"Eradication is not a point in time, it is a sustained effort to keep it out and stamp it out over many months. It is crucial that all New Zealanders remain vigilant and follow the guidelines for Level 3."
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