New Zealand has recorded no new cases or deaths from coronavirus for the third successive day, the Ministry of Health has revealed.
While there was no COVID-19 briefing from Parliament on Thursday due to the impending Budget announcement, updated figures on the ministry's website show the total number of cases remains at 1497.
Of these, 1147 are confirmed and 350 probable. The death toll from the virus remains at 21.
Nine more people have recovered from COVID-19 in New Zealand, taking the total number of recoveries to 1411 - 94 percent of all cases.
There are two people still receiving hospital-level care for coronavirus, one of which is in Auckland Hospital and the other at Middlemore. Neither are in intensive care.
The figures follow the processing of 6568 tests on Wednesday, bringing the total number of tests completed to date to 209,613.
'Closed cluster' definition changes
There are still 16 significant clusters - and while four of these were previously defined as closed, that has now changed.
The Ministry of Health received new advice on how it should define a cluster closure, and is now retrospectively applying that new criteria.
"We had previously closed four clusters as they met our definition of two full transmission periods (the equivalent of 28 days) since their last case was notified," a press release read.
"In the meantime, we have received and accepted advice that we will use an improved definition of a closed cluster. This is that there should be two full transmission periods since the last case completed their isolation period.
"We are now using that definition... It's important to note that there has been no new disease activity in these clusters."
Under the updated definition, the Ministry of Health says it is unlikely that any clusters will close in the month of May.
It says from a public health point of view, the change makes it easier for public health unit staff to retain appropriate health measures like isolation while they continue to learn all they can from the different clusters.
From the public point of view, however, the ministry says it will mean "only minor changes to the information on our website".
