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.
The director general of health has apologised to the family of one the latest victims to succumb to the deadly Covid-19 virus, as the toll in New Zealand rises to 16.
Ashley Bloomfield apologised after a reporter suggested he had created '"false hope" when he referred to the woman as"stable" in a public media briefing yesterday.
The day prior he had also said none of the patients in hospital were critical.
However, 62-year-old Jocelyn Finlayson had been in ICU for two weeks before she died overnight.
Bloomfield told media today she had been "very unwell" in intensive care in Dunedin Hospital and had an underlying health condition.
"While her family had not able to visit her over the past few weeks, arrangements were made for them to be with her last night as she passed away," he said.
He said when he had referred to her as stable it had "reflected the fact there had been no change" in her critical condition.
"But I am very sorry because I think from that story, that did create some anxiety and concern for the family," he said.
"I'm sorry that that happened and I'm certainly happy to be in touch with them personally if they would like to."
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said they had discussed not providing further detail when a person was in the ICU, as medical terminology could mean different things to different people.
"No one wants to create any kind of extra additional stress for families, as obviously has been caused in this case."
Finlayson was the second person from Invercargill to lose their life to the virus.
Her daughter Nicole earlier spoke to RNZ about the upset the description of her mother's condition had caused.
She was initially elated when she heard the media briefing on Tuesday, thinking her mother's condition must have changed since they had spoken to doctors that morning.
"I rang my dad to see if he had received a further update from the hospital, he hadn't," she told RNZ.
"I rang the hospital and they confirmed she was still critical. This was a little heartbreaking."
It made her question the accuracy of the information in the press conferences and she worried people would not understand how serious the situation was.
The Ministry of Health said the medical terminology it used for "stable" meant there had been no change in a patient's condition.
