As New Zealand enters one more week of lockdown under alert level 4, the number of Covid-19 cases has risen by nine to a new combined total of confirmed and probable cases of 1440. In the Bay of Plenty there are 46 confirmed cases, including one case in the Eastern Bay, in Opotiki. Thirty-three people have recovered from Covid-19 in the Bay of Plenty.
In the Lakes district there are 16 cases, including 10 in Rotorua and six in Taupo.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced that the lockdown in level 4 will continue until midnight next Monday, after which the country will move into alert level 3 for two weeks.
Ms Ardern said they would then review how they were tracking and making further decisions in Cabinet on May 11.
She cautioned that alert level 3 was a waiting room of sorts that still had many restrictions. It would allow more economic activity but did not allow more social activity.
“This time we now have will be used to prepare on all fronts. This week businesses will be allowed to get ready to open, such as employers re-entering premises to receive stock if necessary. But we ask that in doing so they stick to social distancing and their bubbles.
“This is not an early move out of alerts, it is merely a preparation. The same principle applies for preparing schools and the education system. Schools and early learning centres can be accessed for cleaning maintenance and any other preparations.
“The current plan is for schools to reopen for a teacher-only day on 28 April as part of their preparation and we expect those who need to attend to be able to from 29 April.”
She said it might take a bit longer for schools to be ready.
The Ministry of Health said today there were no additional deaths to report and the total number of Covid-19-related deaths remained at 12. There are now 974 people with Covid-19 who have recovered.
Today, there are 14 people in hospital with Covid-19. The total includes three people in ICU – one each in Middlemore, Dunedin and North Shore hospitals. Two of these ICU patients are in a critical condition. There are still 16 significant clusters.
On Sunday, 3081 Covid-19 tests were processed.
Over the weekend, there were a number of efforts around wider community testing by public health and primary care in locations in Auckland, Queenstown and across the Waikato.