There are 68 new Delta cases in New Zealand today, bringing the overall total of the Covid outbreak to 277 people. 263 are in Auckland and 14 are in Wellington.
A new mum whose newborn is in the Special Care Birthing Unit says the help she has got from the community during lockdown has been "heartwarming".
Simeon Warmington gave birth to her first child on August 15.
Two days later, while she was still at Rotorua Hospital, New Zealand wentinto a snap alert level 4 lockdown.
It is not how Warmington and her partner Para Kopa expected the birth of their first child would go and they are still in hospital, isolated from their extended family.
The couple, and their families, live in Tūrangi and were due to have baby Malia in Taupō but the need for an emergency caesarean meant they were taken to Rotorua Hospital instead where they remain. Malia is in the special care unit because she was having trouble breathing.
"She's doing okay, she's good, she's just getting a little bit of help with her oxygen."
Being isolated from family meant when they needed extra food and items from the supermarket, nobody was nearby to drop them off.
"We were able to have visitors the first two days and then we went into lockdown," Warmington said.
"Since then we haven't been allowed any visitors or my partner hasn't been allowed to leave. It has been really hard."
Baby Malia was born two days before New Zealand went back into lockdown. Photo / Supplied
So, Warmington put a call out on the Rotorua Notice Board Facebook page, asking if anyone could go to the supermarket and drop the items off at the hospital.
Countless people offered to help and Warmington got in touch with one who delivered some much-needed treats and necessities.
"I wasn't expecting that response," she said. STORY CONTINUES AFTER LIVE BLOG
STORY CONTINUES "It's really, really heartwarming that there were so many people willing to help. Especially because we don't have any family or friends in Rotorua.
"We get hospital food but they've closed the kitchen where we could've made a hot drink or heat things up. The hospital food wasn't quite keeping us satisfied."
Simeon Warmington and her newborn daughter Malia are locked down in Rotorua Hospital. Photo / Supplied
Warmington said the hard part was, because of the contactless delivery, she was not able to thank her helper in person.
"She dropped it at reception. I'd give her a big hug if I was allowed to, we were so thankful for that.
"It is lonely, you have to stay in your room. We're lucky we can walk to the baby unit and see Malia, have a cuddle.
"We'll be able to go home whenever she's ready. The nurses have been amazing, some of them saw the post and have brought us some treats and even offered to take our washing home for us."
