Sixteen new cases were reported on Saturday, with three still to be linked to the wider outbreak.
What you need to know:
- Sixteen new cases of COVID-19 were detected in the community on Saturday, all in Auckland and taking our total for this outbreak to 1146
- Three of the new cases are unlinked, while two of Friday's nine cases were infectious while in the community
- Waitematā DHB says the risk to staff at Waitakere Hospital is low after a person with COVID-19 showed up to its emergency department on Friday.
- An investigation is underway after a rash-ridden woman at Christchurch MIQ facility waited several days for a health check-up.
- New evidence suggests COVID-19 virus jumped from animals to humans more than once, and is unlikely to have come from a lab leak.
- Kiwis trying to permanently relocate from one alert level setting to another are feeling "blindsided" as the Government cracks down on who can cross domestic boundaries.
- The wage subsidy bill for the latest lockdowns has reached $2.5 billion.
- Judith Collins has blamed COVID-19 for her party's low polling.
Newshub's live updates have finished.
2:55pm - Minister for Small Business Stuart Nash spoke to Newshub Nation earlier about support for businesses and whether international tourists may have to be vaccinated before coming to New Zealand in the future.
2:15pm - Here are the locations of interest released so far on Saturday:
1:55pm - Police provided this statement earlier about compliance in Auckland and the upper Hauraki:
"As Tamaki Mākaurau begins its first weekend under Alert Level 3 restrictions, Police are pleased with an overall high level of compliance.
"Checkpoint staff reported no significant incidents or issues overnight and there were no further COVID prosecutions in the 24 hours ending 5pm yesterday.
"Police in Tāmaki Makaurau will carry out visibility patrols to help ensure everyone continues to adhere to Alert Level 3 restrictions this weekend.
"That means staying local, keeping bubbles tight and maintaining physical distance from others when exercising outdoors, accessing essential services or collecting takeaways.
"Now is not the time to lose sight of why these restrictions are in place and jeopardise everyone’s efforts to date.
"Since Alert Level 3 came into place, in Tāmaki Makaurau and Upper Hauraki three people have been charged with a total of three offences as at 5pm yesterday (24 September 2021).
"Of these, one is for Failing to Comply with Order (COVID-19), one is for Failure to Comply with Direction/Prohibition/Restriction, and one is a Health Act Breach.
"In the same time period, one person was formally warned.
"Police have received a total of 402 105-online breach notifications relating to businesses, mass gatherings or people in Tāmaki Makaurau and Upper Hauraki.
"Updated checkpoint data will be available on Monday."
1:34pm - The Ministry of Health says people travelling to attend a medical appointment or to access health services, including to get a vaccination, do not need to get tested to cross the Auckland Alert Level boundary.
This applies to people travelling both ways - from Alert Level 2 into Alert Level 3 as well as the other way, from Alert Level 3 to Alert Level 2, but they need to travel directly to their appointment and then return to their place of residence.
1:27pm - Testing has continued across Auckland with a particular focus on Clover Park, Māngere, Favona, Ōtara, Manurewa and Mount Wellington/Sylvia Park.
The Ministry of health says there is a new pop-up community testing centre open today at the Te Hana cafe carpark. From tomorrow, the Pukekohe pop-up community testing centre will move from the Pukekohe A&P Showgrounds to the Pukekohe Netball Centre. Planning is underway for a pop-up testing centre to open in Tuakau tomorrow.
The pop-up community testing centre at the Manukau Sports Bowl, which enables convenient access to testing for people in the Clover Park area, is open this weekend from 8.30am – 4pm and will remain in place until Friday 1 October.
1:21pm - The Ministry of Health says the patient who presented to Waitakere Hospital’s ED yesterday with COVID-19 symptoms is now in an Auckland quarantine facility.
The person was taken straight to a separate, dedicated area at the hospital for patients with COVID-19 symptoms – patients in this area are kept separate from each other
The patient returned a positive test and was moved to a negative pressure room before being transported to a quarantine facility following strict Infection, Prevention and Control protocols.
Interviews are continuing with public health staff to determine this person’s link to a current cluster.
A small number of patients had also been taken into the same area. These patients will be monitored and tested however, there was no direct contact with the COVID-19 positive patient.
Fewer than ten patients are affected. Some of these patients have now been discharged and are being followed up by Auckland public health staff.
A small number of staff had contact with the patient, all were wearing full PPE and are fully vaccinated.
Public health officials have assessed the risk to the public to be low.
1:16pm - The Ministry of Health says there are 16 new cases to report today, all of them in Auckland. Two were infecious while in the community. Thirteen have been linked to known cases, while three are still being investigated.
So far there are still 10 cases from the past fortnight which haven't been epidemiologically linked to known clusters.
The total number in the outbreak is 1146.
All cases in one of the largest subclusters - the Birkdale social network - have now recovered.
There are presently 13 COVID patients in hospital and four in ICU or HDU.
There are 1044 active cases at present.
The total number of cases since the pandemic began is now 3806.
More than 7500 tests were taken in Auckland on Friday out of a nationwide total of 13,924.
No unexpected traces of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19, have been found in wastewater testing.
Just over 50,000 vaccine doses were administered on Friday - most of them second doses.
Three historical cases were added to the total. One case was picked up at the border - a border worker who picked up the virus overseas.
1:10pm - Looks like it's going to be one of those days where we all need a little...
12:55pm - Saturday's update from the Ministry of Health should arrive soon. There's no press conference today, which means it could arrive anytime after 1pm - they often arrive much later.
12:40pm - Victoria in Australia has recorded 847 new cases and one death. "Parts of the state remain in lockdown and a strict curfew is still in place in Melbourne," ABC News reported.
The curfew is set to come into effect halfway through the AFL grand final tonight, and authorities are warning people to stay at home.
12:35pm - Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says vaccination passports could become part of a toolbox of restrictions should enough of the population get the COVID-19 vaccination.
In an interview with the Weekend Herald, Ardern said the Government would release details of levels of restriction should the country hit a 90 percent vaccination rate and it would likely include vaccination passports.
But National's Judith Collins isn't so sure. Check out the story here.
12:15pm - New locations of interest have been added to the Ministry of Health's website, including Kainga Ora Apartments in Parnell, Tai Ping Asian Supermarket in Flatbush. Find out more here.
