Covid-19: Nine more cases, no new deaths

1:59 pm on 26 April 2020

New Zealand has identified another nine cases of the Covid-19 coronavirus, and no new deaths.

Hospitals set up in preparation for Covid-19

Photo: Ministry of Health / Supplied

The new cases include four confirmed and five probable cases, bringing New Zealand's total cases to 1470.

Four of the new cases were linked to New Zealand's 16 clusters, and the others were all linked to other known infections.

There were 5966 tests completed yesterday.

Another 24 people were said to have recovered, bringing New Zealand's total recoveries to 1142.

The Ministry of Health revealed the new numbers in a written statement today in lieu of the daily afternoon briefing from officials.

In the statement, Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield said that although it was encouraging to have another day of single digit cases, vigilance remained crucial.

"As we prepare to move to alert level 3 on Tuesday morning, it's really important not to slacken off the effort," he said.

"Even though all these new cases are linked to existing community-based cases or clusters, or are a result of overseas travel, nine cases highlights the need for everybody to maintain a high level of vigilance in level 4 and as we move to level 3."

New Zealand is set to return to alert level 3 at 11.59pm tomorrow night.

The number of people in hospital remained level at seven, with one in intensive care, and the number of clusters remained at 16.

Yesterday, the country reported five new cases of the virus, and one further death - that of a woman in her 70s - bringing deaths in New Zealand from the virus to 18.

She died in Waitākere Hospital on Friday night and had been transferred from CHT St Margarets Hospital and Rest Home with underlying health conditions.