File photo. Photo: 123rf.com / Composite Image - RNZ
There have been 11,544 new cases of Covid-19 reported in New Zealand over the past week, and 12 further deaths attributed to Covid-19.
Of the new cases, 4717 were reinfections.
The ministry reported 22 deaths, with 12 attributable to Covid-19.
There were also 190 people with Covid-19 in hospital as of midnight Sunday, with five cases in ICU.
The seven-day rolling average of cases was 1644.
Figures reported last week showed there had been 11,453 new cases, with six deaths and 177 people hospitalised.
Canterbury recorded the highest number of new cases, with 2063.
Covid-19 modeller Michael Plank said the rising number of infections was to be expected with the return of schools and universities, but there was no clear reason for the differences between north and south.
"Perhaps the North Island will experience a similar rise, but maybe just a few weeks behind the South Island. And of course, reporting patterns and transmission patterns might have been affected by the cyclone."
Plank said hospitalisation rates have been relatively flat in recent weeks, which is a good sign.