COVID-19 cases have jumped again, but the rate of increase could be slowing down.
One modeller said the peak may not be as bad as first thought, but that's small comfort to those isolating in the busy lead-up to Christmas.
Bex Wigram should be at her son's prizegiving, but after a catch-up with friends, she tested positive for COVID-19.
"So at the moment, I'm the only one of the family isolating, so touch wood they won't get it," she said.
It means missing out at a super-busy time of the year.
"My daughter is also finishing school, so Christmas assemblies, things like that. But she's also in a production that starts this weekend that she's been rehearsing for months," Wigram said.
COVID-19 had a lot of opportunities to spread this past weekend in Auckland.
There were Guns N' Roses at Eden Park, Jack Johnson at Western Springs, and a wet Christmas in the Park.
Weekly case numbers have jumped again, with 40,098 new cases. There are more people in hospital too - now that number's up to 514.
But the rate of increase of reported cases has slowed a little.
"We had been seeing cases rise by 20 percent each week, sort of a thing. That's just starting to tail off so the increase is an extra 10 percent," COVID-19 modeller David Welch said.
So instead of the previously estimated 11,000 cases a day at Christmas, the peak could be lower and sooner.
"Around about 7000, 8000 or something," Welch said.
But that depends on the partying. If you don't want COVID-19 to ruin your Christmas party, there is one thing experts recommend to do - try and take the festivities outside, as fresh air is your friend.
