There are 21 new cases of Covid-19 in the community today, bringing the total number of people infected in the outbreak to 72. One million New Zealanders are now fully vaccinated.
Three people who used a public walkway near the Crowne Plaza MIQ facility in Auckland's CBD recently are being sought.
It is thought they were in the area on August 7 at the time the person who is the potential source of the Covid-19 Delta variantoutbreak was moved into isolation, as authorities try to learn how the virus got into the community.
Director-general of health Ashley Bloomfield said contact tracers are working with the police to try to find the people.
"My understanding is ... that showed three people who had used that public walkway who possibly were there at the point in time when this person who we think is the source of the outbreak was being moved into the hotel," Bloomfield said.
"The team is working with the police to identify and follow up with each of these people just to see if they are part of the existing outbreak."
Transmission via MIQ staff to the community as a cause of the outbreak has been almost ruled out.
