New Zealand has no new cases of Covid-19 for the 24th day in a row and one significant cluster has now closed, the Ministry of Health has confirmed.
Photo: AFP
In a statement released this afternoon, the Ministry of Health said there were no new cases and no active cases to report.
The total number of confirmed cases - the number reported to the World Health Organisation - remains at 1154.
The combined total of confirmed and probable cases remains at 1504 and the number of recovered cases is 1482. There are no further deaths and no one is in hospital with the coronavirus.
Yesterday 824 tests were completed, the ministry said, bringing the total completed to date to 311,121.
The ministry said an additional significant cluster ‐ Marist College in Auckland - has now closed.
Five significant clusters remain open, they said.
A cluster is considered to be closed when there have been no new cases for two incubation periods (i.e. 28 days) from the date when all cases have completed isolation.
Yesterday 824 tests were completed, the ministry said, bringing the total completed to date to 311,121.
The last day that New Zealand reported an active case of Covid-19 was on 22 May.
- If you have symptoms of the coronavirus, call the NZ Covid-19 Healthline on 0800 358 5453 (+64 9 358 5453 for international SIMs) or call your GP - don't show up at a medical centre
Virus elimination
It's been 28 days since the last case of community transmission of Covid-19 ended quarantine.
That means the chain of transmission has been broken. And that means we've eliminated the novel coronavirus - except for the fact that people are arriving through our border.
Earlier today, University of Auckland infectious diseases specialist Dr Siouxsie Wiles told Morning Report that it was "very exciting" we hadn't seen any new cases, especially since lockdown restrictions ended - but the Ministry of Health was right to be cautious.
Photo: RNZ / Dan Cook
"The danger now comes from our borders and that's why we all still need to be really conscious that if you have a sniffle or anything that we still go and get tested, just in case there has been some transmission from someone who's come into the country," she said.
People arriving in New Zealand from overseas are required to undertake a 14-day quarantine.