Covid 19 coronavirus Delta outbreak: Today's cases, Cabinet's lockdown extension decision based on these numbers

COVID LATEST
* There are now 31 Covid cases in the community - including three in Wellington
* The capital cases had recently travelled to Auckland and visited a location of interest
* Cabinet to announce lockdown extension decision at 3pm today
* Massive loophole: Locals worried as Aucklanders try to book holiday homes in lockdown
* Lockdown Read: Inside the weekend Delta came to town
* Unpicking the cluster - The school family, the teacher, the tradie flatmate and their pals
* Auckland economy losing $100m a day during lockdown, says council
* Matthew Hooton: NZ health system can't look past lockdown
* Liam Dann: Why NZ economy can survive a lengthy lockdown
* Your guide to surviving that long wait for a Covid test
* Everything we know so far about the Wellington cases

There are 11 new Covid cases, including three in Wellington - and level 4 lockdown is set to be extended nationwide until at least early next week.

Of the 11 new cases, eight are in Auckland and three are in Wellington. The three in Wellington had recently travelled to Auckland and visited a location of interest there.

Nineteen cases are now confirmed as part of the Auckland outbreak, with the remaining 12 under investigation to confirm the linkage to the outbreak. Initial assessment shows in most cases there is a plausible link.

Of the 11 new community cases reported today one case is in a family bubble with a case reported yesterday, two are in family bubbles with a case reported on Wednesday and two of the cases we are reporting today are also in a family bubble together.

Public health officials are conducting interviews to establish how the new cases were infected and to determine further details of their movements.

Mayor Andy Foster said earlier today the Wellington cases travelled from Auckland to Wellington in a private vehicle.

But director general of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield has since clarified the two groups returned separately by air and the other by car.

He said there were locations of interest between Auckland and Wellington, including petrol stations, restaurants, and cafes, which would be notified on the Ministry of Health's website.

Meanwhile the Ministry of Health said the international Air New Zealand crew member, reported yesterday, has now been confirmed as a border-related case, and not linked to the Auckland outbreak, based on the results of whole genome sequencing.

This brings the total number of cases associated with the current Auckland community outbreak to 31.

All cases have or are being transferred safely to a managed isolation facility, under strict infection prevention and control procedures, including the use of full PPE.

More than 27,000 tests processed yesterday

In addition, there are two new cases in recent returnees in a managed isolation facility to report today, the ministry said.

Its testing advice remains the same - only get a test if you have visited a location of interest at the time and day listed or have symptoms.

Yesterday, 27,899 tests were processed across New Zealand.

The Ministry of Health announced the latest case numbers and details at 1pm - as the country waits with bated breath to find out whether the nationwide level 4 lockdown will be extended. Auckland and Coromandel are already subjected to a seven-day lockdown.

Cabinet is meeting today to make a decision on whether to extend the three-day level 4 lockdown the country went into at midnight on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said at the time it was likely Auckland and the Coromandel, the areas where the first confirmed case had been, would be in level 4 for at least seven days.

Ardern is holding a press conference at 3pm today at which she is set to announce Cabinet's decision.

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