Photo: 123rf.com / Composite Image - RNZ
Cases of Covid-19 are up on last week, as XEC emerges as a new variant of the virus.
There have been 917 new cases of Covid-19 reported in New Zealand over the week to Sunday, and five further deaths attributed to the virus.
There were 124 cases in hospital, although none are in intensive care.
The new Covid-19 variant XEC was first detected in Germany in August and appears to have a growth advantage over other circulating variants - but it is not a radically different variant.
XEC is what is known as a "recombinant variant". Recombinants can occur naturally when a person is simultaneously infected with two different Covid variants.
Last week, Health NZ reported 886 new cases and six further deaths.