There have been five new cases of COVID-19 recorded in New Zealand in the past 24 hours, the Ministry of Health confirmed on Saturday afternoon, and one more death.
Forgoing the usual 1pm press conference, the ministry released the latest pandemic figures on its website and in a written statement.
The death was a woman in her 70s at Waitakere Hospital in west Auckland. She had been transferred from St Margarets Hospital and Rest Home, and is the second from there to have died.
She had underlying health conditions, and a family member was able to visit her over the past few days.
Seven remain in hospital, including one in ICU at Middlemore.
Of the five new cases, four are linked to existing clusters and one is still under investigation. Three are confirmed as COVID-19 and two probable. The total number confirmed infected in New Zealand is now 1461, with 1118 of those recovered.
"Three of today’s cases are linked to aged residential facilities - one in Auckland and two in Christchurch and another case is linked to a smaller Waikato cluster," the ministry said in a statement. " One of the Christchurch cases attributed to a cluster today is the patient who passed away yesterday morning."
The death toll in New Zealand now stands at 18.
So far 115,015 tests have been carried out.
There remain 16 clusters. One - a group of 13 cases linked to a Wellington wedding - has now been 'closed', the ministry said, with no new linked cases in 28 days.
"We expect more clusters to be closed in coming days," the ministry said.
Overseas, almost 200,000 people have lost their lives and millions have been infected.
