"This is a very sad time for whānau and friends and our thoughts and condolences are with them."
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The total number of reported deaths with Covid-19 is 1197 and the seven-day rolling average is 14.
One previously announced death has been removed from the ministry's totals as it was reclassified as not a Covid-19 case.
Meanwhile, there are 393 people in hospital including eight in intensive care.
They are in Northland (nine), Waitematā (41), Counties Manukau (28), Auckland (79), Waikato (26), Bay of Plenty (nine), Lakes (three), Tairāwhiti (four), Hawke's Bay (14), Taranaki (10), MidCentral (17), Wairarapa (one), Hutt Valley (seven), Capital and Coast (34), Nelson Marlborough (11), Canterbury (55), South Canterbury (11), West Coast (two) and the Southern region (32).
The locations of today's community cases are Northland (197), Auckland (2456), Waikato (615), Bay of Plenty (237), Lakes (107), Hawke's Bay (232), MidCentral (296), Whanganui (95), Taranaki (204), Tairāwhiti (49), Wairarapa (59), Capital and Coast (680), Hutt Valley (247), Nelson Marlborough (332), Canterbury (1225), South Canterbury (132), Southern (617) and the West Coast (86).
The location of four cases is unknown.
There are 48,544 active community cases of the virus in New Zealand.
Meanwhile, 95 imported cases have been detected by health officials.
The seven-day rolling average of community case numbers today is 6937, while last Thursday, it was 7095.
To date, 95.2 per cent of eligible people aged 12 and older have had two doses of Covid-19 vaccine, and 72.7 per cent of eligible people aged 18 and older have been boosted.
Second Omicron wave to hit
The seven-day rolling average of Covid cases is beginning to track down but new modelling suggests a second Omicron wave could hit in the second half of this year.
It will be driven in part by people getting reinfected because their immunity has waned.
The wave is estimated to peak at fewer daily cases than the first wave, as well as fewer hospitalisations - unless infections were prevalent among higher-risk people such as the elderly.
In this scenario, up to 46 per cent of cases had already had Omicron earlier in the year, according to the paper published today by Covid-19 Modelling Aotearoa.
The paper also found that higher transmission - either because of further relaxing of public health measures, or more risky behaviour - didn't necessarily lead to higher peaks.
"However, they generally resulted in more cumulative cases and sustained demand on healthcare systems - more than 250 hospital beds occupied throughout the winter period," said the paper, which is yet to be formally reviewed.
Today, the person who will take over from outgoing Ministry of Health boss Ashley Bloomfield was announced.
Dr Diana Sarfati, chief executive of Te Aho o Te Kahu, Cancer Control Agency, has been appointed as acting director general of health and chief executive, Ministry of Health.
Sarfati will begin in the new role on July 30 as Bloomfield, who recently tested positive for Covid-19 while attending the World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland, leaves the role.
"I am very pleased to appoint Dr Sarfati to this acting role," said deputy public service commissioner Helene Quilter.
"She has been an impressive leader at the Cancer Control Agency."
Sarfati is a public health physician, cancer epidemiologist and health services researcher with a world-leading reputation in cancer control strategy and research.
"Dr Sarfati has considerable experience and a sound understanding of New Zealand's health system and has strong relationships across the sector," said Quilter.
