Covid 19 update: Further eight deaths, 12,129 new cases

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By RNZ

There were 12,129 new cases of Covid-19 reported in Aotearoa in the week to midnight Sunday, and a further eight deaths.

The eight people added to the Covid-19 death tally brings the total number to 2695 people.

Of the new cases last week - nearly half were re-infections - there were 4973, according to the figures from the Ministry of Health today.

There were also 219 people with Covid-19 in hospital as of midnight Sunday, with seven cases in intensive care.

The seven-day rolling average of cases is just down at 1729.

Last week, 2202 new cases were reported and 25 further deaths were attributed to coronavirus.

Cabinet ministers were on Tuesday considering whether to relax the few remaining Covid-19 restrictions. Most pandemic rules were scrapped in September last year, but a mandatory seven-day isolation period remains for those who test positive for the virus.

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins told Morning Report it would be a “carefully balanced decision” whether or not to drop mandatory isolation.

”We have to consider all of the ins and outs of removing restrictions, and the risk associated with that. And we’ve also then got to look at … the benefits of keeping restrictions in place,” Hipkins said.

University of Otago epidemiologist Michael Baker has urged Cabinet to keep the isolation requirements in place. He said vigilance towards Covid-19 was still required, as it was the infectious disease killing and hospitalising the most people in Aotearoa.

- RNZ