Police have "heightened concerns" for around 10 uncontactable people after Cyclone Gabrielle.
A total of 4928 people remain unaccounted for, with around half of those estimated to be in the Hawke's Bay and Gisborne regions, deputy police commissioner Glen Dunbar said today.
There are also 885 reports of people who are registered as safe.
Speaking to media this afternoon, Dunbar said they have around 100 additional police staff on the ground in the Eastern district working to locate those who've not yet made contact, and conducting foot patrols.
Police staff are also working to match reports of unaccounted for people with reports of those who have been heard from and are known to be safe.
He said there is a "small number", around 10 people, who police have "heightened concerns" about.
However, when questioned, Dunbar denied that there are any bodies with police beyond the 9 confirmed deaths already reported.
Dunbar encouraged people to register their safety on the I'm Alive form on the police website, and to update it if they or someone they know who was recorded as unaccounted for is now safe.
Dunbar said "business as usual for police carries on throughout these events," responding to reports of criminal activity in the Hawke's Bay region, such as looting.
"We will arrest and prosecute anyone we find [taking advantage of the State of Emergency]."
But he said such behaviour was "overwhelmingly in the minority".
Emergency Management continues to work on reaching isolated regions. Roger Ball, director of the National Emergency Management Agency, said they've made contact with 90% of isolated communities in Gisborne and are aiming to reach 100% by the end of the day.
In the Hawke's Bay, 90% of cell towers are back to being operational. 100% are operational in Northland and only 30% in Gisborne region, although this continues to be a focus, Ball said.
On how people are able to assist in the recovery effort, Ball stressed that cash donations are the best because donated food or other essential items, while well intentioned, can be difficult to actually distribute to those who need them.
Ball also spoke of "concerning reports of some people being aggressive and threatening those delivering and restocking essential supplies," stressing that emergency responders must be able to do their job supplying at-risk communities.
SHARE ME