Experts are predicting Auckland will spend another week in COVID-19 alert level 4.
While COVID-19 case numbers remain low, there was a slight spike on Saturday with 23 cases reported and a further 20 infections recorded on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Cabinet will meet on Monday to decide Auckland's lockdown fate and the rest of New Zealand's alert level settings.
What you need to know:
- There were 20 new cases of COVID-19 in the community on Sunday, with eight of those unlinked to another case. In total, there are 34 unlinked infections
- Eighteen people are in hospital with COVID-19, four of whom are in the ICU
- Auckland remains in alert level 4 until at least September 14. The rest of New Zealand is in 'Delta level 2'
- The Government has purchased another 500,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses from Denmark
- See all the latest locations of interest here.
These live updates have finished.
3:40pm - The iwi that make up Te Arawa have banded together to urge their whānau to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
Te Arawa Lakes Trust chair Sir Toby Curtis said the Delta outbreak had shown how delicate Aotearoa's defence to COVID-19 is, with Māori particularly vulnerable.
"Māori are at least 50 percent more likely to die from COVID-19 than Pākehā and are 2.5 times more likely to need hospitalisation. Only one in five Māori 12 years and over have had two doses of the COVID vaccine, compared to one in three in the general population," Sir Toby said in a statement.
"If you are 12 years or more, we are asking you to book your COVID-19 vaccine today."
3pm - The detection of mystery cases is "concerning" and likely to affect the potential for a shift in alert levels for the Auckland region, says Dr Dianne Sika-Paotonu, Senior Lecturer, Pathology & Molecular Medicine at the University of Otago Wellington.
"Community transmission appears to continue, and it will be important to identify and break new transmission paths for the virus quickly. The unlinked cases highlight the need for everyone to remain vigilant as the Delta variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus cannot be allowed to run rampant within our communities - we've seen other countries punished for their delayed actions," she says.
"It is critical that those who need to have a COVID-19 test still come forward to have this done, and should not be afraid to do so. Additionally, for those who are unwell and require emergency care and attention at this time, it is important to seek medical help as needed."
2:30pm - There are two new locations of interest. They are:
- Burbank Convenience and Lotto Manurewa, Tuesday 7 September from 12:10 pm - 1:25 pm
- Portage Road Superette Papatoetoe, Friday 10 September from 4:00 pm - 4:30 pm.
2:15pm - Police have provided an update on compliance and border checkpoints.
A spokesperson says an Auckland couple crossed the alert level 4 border with essential worker exemptions, drove to Hamilton Airport and then flew to their holiday home in Wanaka.
"This calculated and deliberate flouting of the alert level 4 restrictions is completely unacceptable and will be extremely upsetting to all those who are working hard and making great sacrifices in order to stamp out COVID in our community," they say.
"The couple – a 26-year-old woman and 35-year-old man – will be prosecuted for breaching the current Health Order, by failing to return to their place of residence within the alert level 4 area after leaving for approved essential personal movement."
The pair will be issued with a summons to appear in court in the coming week.
In compliance, the police spokesperson says since level 4 came into place, 67 people have been charged with a total of 71 offences as at 5pm yesterday in Auckland.
Of these, 56 are for Failing to Comply with Order (COVID-19), 12 for Failure to Comply with Direction/Prohibition/Restriction, one for Failing to Stop (Covid 19-related), and two for Assaults/Threatens/Hinders/Obstructs Enforcement Officer.
In the same time period, 158 people were formally warned for a range of offences.
1:54pm - Below is a breakdown of Sunday's COVID-19 data.
1:48pm - Ardern says Cabinet has yet to receive the public health advice on COVID-19 alert levels for New Zealand outside of Auckland.
"I expect that we'll consider everything," she tells reporters. "No decisions have yet been made."
1:45pm - PM Ardern reiterates all of New Zealand's COVID-19 alert level settings will be reviewed on Monday.
1:43pm - Read more about New Zealand's COVID-19 vaccine deal with Denmark here.
1:40pm - Dr Bloomfield says COVID-19 testing in "suburbs of interest" has been good in past week, giving confidence there's none or little onward transmission.
1:37pm - PM Ardern says lockdown and alert level compliance is still "very good".
1:35pm - Dr Bloomfield says Middlemore Hospital doesn't require extra staff at this stage after three more cases linked to the hospital. He says support is available if needed.
1:33pm - PM Ardern says officials aren't aware of any COVID-19 cases being picked up by surveillance testing in essential workplaces in recent days.
1:25pm - The number of community cases of COVID-19 in the current outbreak now stands at 922.
1:22pm - Ardern says COVID-19 cases that are initially reported as unlinked are often found to be linked to the outbreak by the end of the day, after further investigations.
Dr Bloomfield adds "there's no widespread community transmission in Auckland".
"The volume of testing is reassuring but we need to keep that going over the next few days."
1:17pm - Genomic links have now been found for Friday's Middlemore Hospital cases, which were originally reported as unlinked.
1:15pm - PM Ardern announces NZ has purchased a further 500,000 Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine doses from Denmark.
"These doses along with the 275,000 doses purchased from Spain last week provide an additional 775,000 to New Zealand's vaccine supplies," Ardern says. "There is now more than enough vaccine in the country to vaccinate at the world leading rates we were hitting earlier in the month, and I strongly encourage every New Zealander not yet vaccinated to do so as soon as possible.
"We are extremely grateful to Denmark for making these vaccines available to help protect Aotearoa New Zealand against the current Delta outbreak."
1:14pm - Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says there's still some work to do in containing some sub-clusters to prevent onward transmission.
She says linking COVID-19 cases to the outbreak can sometimes take a bit longer - but in general the outbreak is heading in the right direction.
1:10pm - Dr Bloomfield says there were 10,958 COVID-19 tests processed on Saturday -
| 4928 of which were in Auckland. |
1:09pm - Dr Bloomfield says there will be new locations of interest published on Sunday.
1:07pm - There are no additional cases of COVID-19 linked to the Middlemore Hospital infections at this stage, Dr Bloomfield says.
1:05pm - There are 20 new community cases of COVID-19, all in Auckland.
Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield says eight of those cases have yet to be linked to the original outbreak.
1:02pm - We are waiting for the Prime Minister and Director-General of Health to arrive at the Beehive for the press conference. Watch it live on Three or in the video above.
12:45pm - We are moments away from Sunday's COVID-19 press conference, due to start at 1pm. You can watch it live on Three and in the video above.
12:30pm - More mystery COVID-19 cases from Auckland's Middlemore Hospital have reinforced the need for high testing rates.
Rod Jackson, an epidemiologist from the University of Auckland, says they could have simply contracted the virus in the street.
"If you've got any symptoms at all that make you think you might have the flu... actually go and get tested [for COVID-19]," Dr Jackson told Newshub.
12:15pm - Across the Tasman, Queensland has avoided a COVID-19 lockdown after it detected no new cases in the past 24 hours.
The state on Saturday reported five cases of COVID-19, with Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk warning that a lockdown could be needed to stop the spread of the virus.
Meanwhile, Victoria recorded 392 COVID-19 infections in the past 24 hours, down slightly from the 450 cases reported in the state a day earlier.
12pm - If you want to get the COVID-19 vaccine, but still have a few burning questions about its safety, efficacy, or how your body may react, you've come to the right place. Newshub looked at some commonly asked questions about the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine - read more here.
11:45am - Over the past week, Newshub has been inundated with emails from concerned kindergarten teachers and parents of young Kiwis who are worried about children returning to early learning centres (ECE) at COVID-19 alert level 3.
Mike Bedford has reservations about centres opening up at level 3. He is New Zealand's only postgraduate qualified public health specialist in ECE health and wellbeing and has investigated about 50 infectious disease outbreaks in early learning centres.
11:30am - More than 26,000 Aucklanders received a COVID-19 vaccine dose on Saturday.
Auckland City Mayor Phil Goff told RNZ those numbers were a good sign.
"That shows that we're actually achieving what we want to achieve at the moment."
11:15am - Click here for a wrap of what you might have missed from Saturday's COVID-19 developments.
11am - A professor of epidemiology at the University of Auckland has grim news for City of Sails' residents after three people tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday, following recent visits to Middlemore Hospital.
Epidemiologist Rod Jackson said residents should brace themselves for the bad news.
"Level 4 for another week was my initial reaction," Dr Jackson told Newshub.
