Covid-19 coronavirus: No new cases, no new deaths - 'please download the tracer app'

New Zealand has no new cases of Covid-19 today and there are no new deaths, says the Ministry of Health.

There are now only 28 active cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand and one person is in hospital, the ministry reported in a statement this afternoon.

The number of people who have recovered is unchanged at 1455 and the total number of Covid-19 cases (active, recovered and fatal) remains at 1504.

This means 97 per cent of all confirmed and probable cases have recovered from Covid-19.

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"We continue to encourage as many people as possible to download the app – it will help us identify, trace, test and isolate any cases of COVID-19. The faster we can do these steps the less likely it is the virus can spread in our communities," the ministry said.

The ministry said it was very supportive of the work done by businesses to get their unique QR code that people can use to record having been there.

"The NZ COVID Tracer app, already being used by Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield, is strongly supported by New Zealand's Privacy Commissioner, who has said New Zealanders should feel secure in downloading and using the app."

Meanwhile, the ministry is reminding people that the maximum gathering limit remains at 10 people.

"Many New Zealanders will be noticing that life is returning to a new normal but a key reminder this weekend is that the maximum number of people who can gather remains at 10 for now," the statement said.

"This limit applies to both private and public gatherings, including church and faith based ones."

The only exceptions to this are funerals and tangihanga registered by funeral directors with the Ministry of Health.

Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield acknowledged the support and patience of New Zealanders to get the country to this point.

"It remains important to minimise the mixing and mingling involved in larger groups," he said this afternoon.

"I know many people, including those of faith, want to move as quickly as possible to increase the size of their gatherings. I know how important it is for people to be able to practise their faith together.

"The number of people at gatherings will be one of the specific issues being reconsidered by Cabinet on Monday - until then it remains at ten," he said.

The number of new cases this week has been very low.

There was just one case reported on Friday and no new cases for the three days before that.

The new case on Friday was linked to the St Margaret's cluster in Auckland.

Because of that person's connection to the earlier case, they have been in isolation since the beginning of Level 4.

"This case is another example of the 'long tail' of Covid-19 and why ongoing vigilance is so important," the Ministry of Health said.

The total number of confirmed and probable cases in New Zealand is 1504 – so far 97 per cent of those have recovered.

There have been more than 250,000 Covid-19 tests in New Zealand.

Meanwhile, the NZ Covid Tracer app has now had 293,000 registrations.

"We continue to encourage as many people as possible to download the app – it will help us identify, trace, test and isolate any cases of Covid-19," the ministry said.

"The faster we can do these steps the less likely it is the virus can spread in our communities."

• Covid19.govt.nz: The Government's official Covid-19 advisory website