There are four further deaths linked to Covid-19 and Director General Health Ashley Bloomfield says it is a "sobering reminder" of what's at stake in the fight against the pandemic.
Northland's leaders are supporting the District Health Board's decision not to release the locations of the region's positive Covid-19 cases.
On Wednesday last week, the Northland District Health Board (NDHB) confirmed it would not release the territorial authority - Whangārei, Far North or Kaipara - for Northland's now 26 positivecases (eight recovered), citing privacy reasons.
"Currently, our numbers of confirmed and probable cases in Northland are too small to be reportable at territorial level and risk cases being publicly identifiable," NDHB medical officer of health Catherine Jackson said.
NDHB medical officer of health Catherine Jackson. Photo / File
"Unfortunately, people in New Zealand and Northland who have been diagnosed with Covid-19 have been subjected to inappropriate bullying and racism, along with their families.
"Our people have a right to privacy and to be treated with kindness and respect."
Jackson said knowing where cases were located would not change the public health advice during alert level 4 lockdown. However, if case numbers continued to increase in Northland, Jackson said that territorial authority information would be released.
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According to the Ministry of Health, DHBs are free to release this information and some do. Rotorua's Lakes DHB, which had 10 fewer cases than Northland as of yesterday, had already released more localised information.
Jackson would not comment on the actions of another DHB and would not go into further detail on the abuse positive cases had been subjected to.
Speaking last week, Kaitaia's Dr Lance O'Sullivan - who had set up a makeshift testing clinic in the Kaitaia Warehouse carpark - said the DHB needed to release information to ease public anxiety.
"People are making assumptions and coming to conclusions in the absence of clear information so, again, it's my opinion and a lot of people I've spoken to in the community here agree, they'd rather know and be aware, rather than all the innuendo and rumour," he said.
Dr Lance O'Sullivan (right) and his team in Kaitaia. Photo / Supplied
However, Northland's political leaders backed the DHB, while understanding how more localised information might ease anxiety for some people.
"Frankly, where the cases are, it's not important for me," Whangārei mayor Sheryl Mai said.
"I think the messages about being kind, being safe and staying home are the most important messages, so where these people are who have got the virus is not really relevant."
Whangārei mayor Sheryl Mai. Photo / File
Kaipara mayor Jason Smith said he was disheartened to hear reports of bullying directed at people who had tested positive.
"That's really sad and really unnecessary within the community, we are all in a time of real challenge," he said.
While he empathised with those who felt anxious, Smith recognised how more localised information could lead to cases being identified.
"The connectivity within communities in Northland means that rumours and the identification of people can occur very fast."
Far North mayor John Carter (left) seen here with Agriculture Minister Damien O'Connor. Photo / File
Far North mayor John Carter said the public must be guided by Northland's health officials in this time.
"While I can quite understand why people would like to think their district, their area, is safe, we've still got to be guided by the DHB."
As reported by the Northern Advocate in March, Northland's first positive case - Joshua Dent - decided to go public to dispel rumours circulating on social media and because he wanted people to stop giving his family grief.
