There are two new deaths in New Zealand from Covid-19, taking our total toll to 16. There are only three new cases in New Zealand, the smallest number so far.
There are no new cases of Covid-19 in the Bay of Plenty as New Zealand records three new cases and two further deaths.
The testing of 250 seasonal workers at a kiwifruit orchard in Te Puke which began today "at pace" as a precautionary measure would be complete this afternoonand Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield said at least some of the results would be announced tomorrow.
There have been a total of 47 cases in the Bay of Plenty District Health Board, which covers Tauranga and Whakatāne, and 16 cases in the Lakes DHB which covers Rotorua and Taupō.
In the region there are 18 active cases with 14 in the Bay of Plenty DHB area and four in the Lakes DHB.
Forty-five people have recovered and one person remains in Tauranga Hospital.
There are three new cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand and two new deaths, Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield revealed this afternoon.
One of the deaths was of a woman in her 60s in Dunedin. The Herald reported today a 62-year-old Invercargill woman with Covid-19 who has been fighting for her life in Dunedin Hospital for two weeks has died overnight.
She is the second person from Invercargill to die of Covid-19.
The second new death was a man in his 70s from Christchurch's Rosewood rest home, where eight others have died.
The new deaths take New Zealand's total toll to 16.
Bloomfield said there are eight people in hospital, with one person in ICU in Middlemore Hospital.
Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield said testing of 250 seasonal workers in Te Puke would be complete today. Photo / File
There were 6480 tests processed yesterday - there have been more than 101,200 tests so far.
Covid-19 testing of 250 seasonal workers in Te Puke began today after a confirmed case through an accommodation setting and Bloomfield said this would be completed this afternoon. He said one of the cases was involved with one of the kiwifruit hostels and the root of the infection had not yet been identified.
"One of our cases there have an association but did not interact directly, with the hostel in Te Puke."
Close contacts of this person have all tested negative, he said.
Bloomfield said the testing was happening "at pace" and the wide spectrum of testing was to ensure there had been no community transmission around the confirmed case.
He said workers were not isolated as they were all in the same bubble which had been maintained throughout level 4 and the testing was precautionary.
He said the results, of at least some of the tests, would be announced tomorrow. Bay of Plenty DHB interim chief executive officer Simon Everitt said in a statement last night that this was part of the Ministry of Health's approach to offer testing more widely to specific groups or settings that may be identified at higher risk, helping determine if there is any community spread.
Lakes DHB has urged all children and young people with a sore throat to be checked immediately by a health professional because sore throats may be caused by Covid-19 or Strep A.
GPs open
Bloomfield also confirmed GPs will be open in level 3 and dentists will be able to perform urgent surgeries under level 3.
The Ministry is doing a stocktake of PPE, and how it's being rolled out across the country.
