Aucklanders will be hoping this is their final weekend at level 4, but all eyes are on the 36 "mystery cases" yet to be epidemiologically linked to the current outbreak. Nine of these were cases reported on Saturday.
Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson said on Friday the mystery cases do affect decisions on alert level changes and urged Aucklanders to continue getting tested this weekend if they have any symptoms.
Leading epidemiologist Michael Baker says he'd like to see "several" days of no mystery cases before Auckland adjusts restrictions.
The vaccination programme is in full swing with a mass vaccination event being held in Manukau this weekend.
What you need to know:
There are 23 new cases in the community on Saturday, with nine of those unlinked to another case.
Nineteen people are in hospital with COVID-19, four of whom are in the ICU on ventilators
There are 36 unlinked cases, nine of which are from Friday
Auckland remains in alert level 4 until at least September 14. The rest of New Zealand is in 'Delta level 2'
See all the latest locations of interest here.
2:40pm - New research shows New Zealand has twice the risk of leaks out of MIQ compared to Australia and says our reliance on hotels instead of purpose-built facilities could be a factor.
The study from eight public health researchers, including Professor Michael Baker and Dr Nick Wilson, has found in New Zealand there were 10.5 failures per 1000 COVID-positive travellers in quarantine while in Australia there were 5.2.
2:20pm - An additonal location of interest has been listed. It is the Puhinui Laundromat in Papatoetoe. The date/time is Sunday September 5 between 4pm and 5pm.
2:10pm - There are four new locations of interest:
- Countdown Manukau City Mall - Sunday September 5 between 9am and 11am
- Countdown Manukau City Mall - Tuesday September 7 between 7:57am and 9:05am
- Pak'nSave Manukau - Sunday September 5 between 10:30am and 12pm
- Otara Mini Supermarket - Friday September 3 between 11:40am and 11:58am
1:45pm - In its statement on Saturday, the Ministry of Health noted the "slight increase in today's numbers".
"As we have said previously, some volatility is likely at this stage as we expect some changes in the numbers as day 5 and day 12 tests for contacts of cases are due, and we do further investigations of any new unlinked cases," it said.
"This does serve as a strong reminder of the importance of following the COVID-19 Alert Level rules wherever you are, and to get tested if you have any symptoms or have been at a location of interest at the specified times."
1:24pm - The number of cases in the current Delta-variant outbreak is 902, bringing the number of COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began to 3,534 in New Zealand.
1:17pm - The Ministry of Health says there are eight epidemiologically linked subclusters. The two largest subclusters are the Mangere church group: 375; and Birkdale social network cluster: 76. Nine epidemiologically subclusters are unlinked.
1:10pm - There are now 36 cases of COVID-19 in the community that are yet to epidemiologically linked.
1:00pm - There are 23 new community cases of COVID-19 in New Zealand and one at the border the Ministry of Health says in a statement.
Eight (72.7 per cent) of yesterday’s 11 cases have exposure events.
Nine of today’s cases are yet to be to be epidemiologically linked, 14 have been.
12:17pm - The Ministry of Health has added four new locations of interest at midday including a couple of supermarkets and a Chemist Warehouse.
Read the full list here.
12:04pm - Keep on moo-ving.
Auckland police officers got a surprise when some local four-legged residents decided they wanted to try to breach the strict border restrictions.
"Forty cattle stampeded from a paddock onto Mercer Ferry Road before Police staff managed to herd them onto Orams Road.
"The cattle soon realised the grass was not greener on the other side and started to head back to their own property facilitated by Police, Defence Force staff and the farmer at the property.
"Police decided to let the cattle off with a warning on this occasion."
11:57am - Police said the numbers of people travelling through checkpoints remain low only a small number of vehicles are continuing to be turned around.
"This shows our community is overall following the rules and ensuring they have the correct documentation ready to show our staff on the checkpoints, police said in a staement.
"Wild weather in Auckland last night saw a mini tornado on State Highway 1 knock over nearly every road cone.
"We want to acknowledge our officers and partners who are working in some pretty wet and windy conditions."
11:50am - Since Alert Level 4 came into place, in Tāmaki Makaurau 61 people have been charged with a total of 65 offences as at 5pm Friday Auckland Police said in a statement.
Of those, 51 were for Failing to Comply with Order (COVID-19), 11 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, 141 people were formally warned for a range of offences.
To date, Police have received a total of 7,331 105-online breach notifications relating to businesses, mass gatherings or people in Tāmaki Makaurau.
Around a third are in relation to businesses and 60 percent are in relation to mass gatherings.
11:37am - Many Auckland parents looked on with envy as kids in the rest of the country returned to school earlier this week.
Working from home and home-schooling kids is an art many parents have had to master since COVID-19 arrived in NZ.
If it is driving you up the wall help is at hand, a former teacher has shared some tips on how to be a parent and a teacher.
Read the story here
11:17am - The Minister for Māori Crown Relations says it's not just the Government's fault Maori vaccination rates lag behind those of other ethnicities.
Just 21 percent of eligible - aged 12-plus - Maori have had two COVID-19 jabs so far, compared to 35 percent Pakeha and 33 percent overall. They lag behind all other ethnic groups tracked by the Ministry of Health.
That's despite experts saying Maori are at significantly higher risk of contracting and falling seriously ill from the virus, thanks to their high rates of underlying conditions and socioeconomic factors, such as living conditions and access to healthcare.
Kelvin Davis told Newshub Nation on Saturday "almost $25 million" has been invested in Maori-centric vaccination efforts, but "people are staying home" instead.
"That funding has been distributed to Māori organisations along with the message to vaccinate Māori," he told host Orinii Kaipara.
She told him "whānau are not heeding the call", and put it to him Labour's Maori caucus failed "by not creating a communications plan specifically for Māori sooner, so the right message reached whānau all across the country".
Davis rejected that.
"There’s no excuse for being ignorant. It’s a simple message, go and get vaccinated. It’s okay to blame the Government but we have to take responsibility for ourselves as well. The right thing to do is to go and get vaccinated.
11:00am - An investigation is underway after a worker at an MIQ facility in Auckland has tested positive for COVID-19 the Ministry of Health said in a statement.
"A quarantine worker at the Holiday Inn MIQ facility in Auckland has tested positive following routine testing.
"The case tested positive on Monday and was included in Tuesday’s COVID-19 update.
"An investigation to determine the source of the worker’s infection is underway.
"At this stage, Public Health Officials investigating the case have not identified any clear evidence of in-facility transmission.
"The worker is fully vaccinated, has been regularly tested and is now isolating in a quarantine facility," the statement said.
10:47am - Microbiologist Siouxie Wiles has hit back at a jibe by National Leader Judith Collins that she broke level 4 rules by cycling to Judge's Bay beach on Auckland to meet a friend.
Collins called Wiles a 'big fat hypocrite,' questioning whether the trip was really for exercise.
"That's about 5km, and unless she ran there - and I doubt it - then she wasn't exercising. No masks on, sitting there on the beach, and the friend goes off for a swim. I watched that video, and I thought: big fat hypocrite," Collins told a Pacific Group.
Wiles tweeted her response:
"Hey @JudithCollinsMP - thanks for your interest in my exercise habits. You never heard of bicycles?! They are awesome for getting around the city, especially at Level 4 when there are so few cars about."
Wiles did meet a friend who was in her bubble and Dr Ashley Bloomfield defended her actions on Friday saying:
"I've had a message from Siouxsie who described what happened. From what she told me, it didn't sound like protocols were breached, and I don't think that the person who went into the water what they did could be described as a swim," he said.
The old saying about a kettle not calling a pot black springs to mind.
10:34am - There are plenty of spaces at a mass vaccination events at Trusts Arena carpark in Henderson and the Airport Park and Ride in Māngere.
Northern Region Health Coordination Centre vaccination programme lead Matt Hannant said both sites have been operating as drive-though vaccination sites since last month, and staff were equipped for the surge.
Read the full story here
10:17am - Leading epidemiologist Michael Baker told Newshub he'd like to see "several" days of no mystery cases before Auckland adjusts restrictions. There are currently 29 cases with no known link to other cases.
Auckland is due to learn on Monday if it will move down levels.
10:00am - There are 13 new locations of interest today, including a Pakn'Save in Clendon Park and a Countdown in Manuwera. The full list can be found here while a map of the locations can be seen here.
