(file image) Photo: 123rf.com / Composite Image - RNZ
Covid-19 cases have increased since last week, and there were 27 further deaths attributed to the virus, according to Ministry of Health figures.
There have been 7880 new cases of Covid-19 reported in New Zealand over the week to Sunday.
Of the new cases, 878 were probable cases and 4286 were reinfections.
There were 336 cases in hospital and five in intensive care.
The seven-day rolling average of new cases was 999 per day.
Last week, the ministry reported there were 6656 new cases of Covid-19 and 20 further deaths attributed to the virus.
Meanwhile, new versions of two Covid-19 vaccines are up for approval by Medsafe.
Last week, the organisation said it had accepted applications for the latest updates of the Pfizer and Novovax vaccines which cover the XBB 1.5 strain of Omicron.
As part of the approval process, the vaccine companies had been sending data and information for several months to Medsafe, which approves medicines used in New Zealand.
Current boosters are available to anyone over 30, and people over 16 at higher risk of serious illness, six months after their last booster or bout of the virus.