Another 104 community cases of COVID-19 were reported on Saturday, 61 of them without links to previous known cases.
Ninety-one of the cases were in Auckland, eight in Waikato, four in Northland and one in Nelson/Marlborough.
The latest figures include the South Island's first case since 2020, after a person who travelled from Rotorua to Blenheim tested positive.
So far there have been 2492 cases in the current outbreak, most in Auckland.
Of Friday's cases, it's been determined 53 had exposure events. There have been 274 unlinked cases in the past 14 days.
There are 55 people currently in hospital with COVID-19, their average age 43. Five are in ICU or HDU.
Check the locations of interest here.
The next 1pm press conference isn't scheduled until Tuesday, the Ministry of Health said, despite the growing case numbers in Northland and the South Island's first since 2020.
Waikato
Seven of the Waikato's eight cases were reported in Te Awamutu. The ministry says all have "been linked to an exposure event in a household setting".
"We are urging anyone in Waikato - in particular, people in Te Awamutu - to get tested if they have any symptoms that could be COVID-19."
Investigation into a case that travelled to the Hawke's Bay before testing positive on return to Waikato has turned up one location of interest - Kmart Napier, between 3:53pm and 5:13pm on Friday, October 15.
Auckland
One Auckland suburb in particular has been singled out - the North Shore's Redvale, where more than 6 percent of tests are coming back positive.
"We continue to urge Redvale residents with any COVID-19 symptoms, no matter how mild, to get tested as soon as possible, even if they are vaccinated. We are also encouraging testing in New Lynn and the North Shore suburbs of Rosedale and Bayswater."
Redvale was where an illegal party was recently held, which police are investigating.
Earlier
Earlier, the Ministry of Health has confirmed a person has tested positive for COVID-19 in Blenheim - the South Island's first community case this year.
And four new cases have been reported in Northland, including two children under 12, the local DHB said just before 1pm.
Across the Tasman, the Australian state of NSW reported 332 new cases and two deaths, Victoria reported 1750 cases and nine deaths, and ACT reported 24 new cases. Queensland had no new cases to report.
In better news, Pfizer/BioNTech said a trial showed their vaccine was more than 90 percent effective in children aged five to 11, with no new safety concerns to report.
Here's what else happened in the world overnight.
