Covid 19 coronavirus: No new cases in MIQ or community as NSW bubble resumed

Director general of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield. Photo / Mark Mitchell

There are no new cases of Covid-19 in managed isolation today.

The Ministry of Health this afternoon confirmed there were also no new cases of Covid in the community.

Two previously reported cases have also now recovered bringing the total number of active cases in New Zealand to 24.

There also appears to be no issues since flights to and from New South Wales resumed midnight yesterday.

However, the Ministry was urging anyone that had been at a location of interest in Sydney to follow NSW health advice regarding isolation and testing.

They were also asked not to travel to New Zealand within 14 days from when they were at the specific location.

The first flights from Sydney landed back in New Zealand yesterday after a three-day pause due to an outbreak in New South Wales last week.

Two community cases were confirmed in the NSW community but since then authorities on both sides of the Tasman have ruled the risk of transmission remained.

"Public health officials have assessed that the situation in Sydney - following two community cases reported earlier in the week - is contained and there is no evidence to suggest widespread, undetected community transmission," the ministry said yesterday.

In and around Greater Sydney, restrictions remained in place and travellers were asked to be careful and protect themselves, by wearing a facemask and maintaining a physical distance.

Meanwhile, New Zealand's total number of confirmed cases sits at 2,287. A previously reported historical case had been reclassified as "not a case" and had been removed from the tally.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced yesterday there would be 500 managed isolation spaces a fortnight allocated over the next 10 months.

The majority would be for skilled and critical workers and include 300 workers under the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme every month from June – with 2400 arriving by March 2022.

The number boosts the approximate 4500 spots already set aside for RSE workers but the extra would be set aside for certain groups on a targeted basis.

The space allocation would "take some pressure off" many sectors struggling for overseas workers including those in construction, agriculture, horticulture and viticulture sectors.

As well as RSE workers, another 240 would go to specialised construction workers between June and October, 400 international students and 100 refugees every six weeks from July.