There are 194 new Covid-19 cases in the community on Wednesday, the Ministry of Health has confirmed.
The new cases are located in Auckland (180), Waikato (5), Northland (3) and Lakes (6).
Another death — a man in his 60s who was in North Shore Hospital — was also announced.
The man had been admitted on November 4 with virus symptoms and then tested positive.
He died on Tuesday.
"Our thoughts are with his family and whānau at this deeply sad time. The whānau has been offered support by the DHB."
In Northland, the cases are located in Kaitāia, Dargaville and Whangārei.
The case in Whangārei is unlinked, so interviews are being done.
A fourth case in the region is being included in Thursday's numbers.
Waikato's cases are located in Ōtorohanga, Te Kuiti, Huntly and Cambridge.
Three of the five cases are known contacts of earlier cases, while investigations into the other two are underway.
The cases in the Lakes District are located in Taupō and Tūrangi.
There are seven cases in the area, but the seventh case will also be included in Thursday's numbers.
The ministry said there was also a case in Christchurch, but this would also be included in Thursday's numbers.
There is a "clear link" to Auckland, which is at the centre of the Delta outbreak.
The case had flown back to Christchurch on flight NZ1295 on Saturday, November 13.
They had travelled to Auckland for an event and became symptomatic the next day.
The case went for a test on Monday.
Those on the flight are being told to monitor for Covid-19 symptoms for the next 10 days and get a test immediately.
The case lives in a household of six people, so those in the household are isolating and will be tested.
The ministry also said 88 people are in hospital with the virus across Auckland (83), Northland (1) and Waikato (4).
Seven of these cases are in ICU or HDU.
Of Wednesday's 194 cases, 146 have been epidemiologically linked.
This means 48 still need to be linked.
Covid-19 had been detected in wastewater samples taken in Tauranga, Mt Maunganui, Taupō and Tūrangi.
The positive results in Tauranga and Mt Maunganui were on November 15.
The virus had earlier been detected in wastewater on November 10 and 11.
Taupō recorded positive wastewater results on November 13 and 15, while the virus was picked up in samples in Tūrangi on November 15.
A sample taken in Masterton on November 14 was negative.
Anyone in these areas with Covid-19 symptoms, no matter how mild, are encouraged to get tested.
On Tuesday, a record 222 cases were recorded in the community, along with another death.
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