After three days with no new cases but there is one additional case today. However it’s not exactly new as the person is linked to the Marist school cluster and had symptoms two months ago.

The Ministry of Health report:

Today we are reporting one new confirmed case of COVID-19.

This means New Zealand’s combined total of confirmed and probable cases is now 1,498, of which 1,148 are confirmed.

Today’s confirmed case is linked to the Marist cluster in Auckland and was identified through recent follow-up testing of the school community.  The person first had symptoms nearly two months ago and had a previous negative test. The result is considered a ‘weak positive’ and the person, who has been in isolation through the lockdown period, is not considered infectious now.

We have previously identified instances of ‘weak positive’ cases, which can occur some time after an individual’s illness.

We now have 1,421 people reported as having recovered from COVID-19, an increase of 10 on yesterday. This is 95% of all confirmed and probable cases.

There are now just 56 ‘active’ cases across the country.

Today there are two people receiving hospital level care for COVID-19 – one each in Auckland and Middlemore hospitals. Neither are in ICU.

We still have 16 significant clusters.

There are no additional deaths to report.

There were 7,174 laboratory tests processed yesterday, which brings the total number of tests completed to 216,787.

Today’s Covid-19 update there are 3 new confirmed cases, two linked to the St Margaret’s Hospital & Rest Home in Auckland (routine testing), and the third a person travelling back from overseas (mandatory quarantine should have contained that).

There are still only 2 people in hospital, and 90 active cases out of a total of 1,497

So the risk is still very low as we wait for this afternoon’s level stay or lower announcement

Most parts of the country have had no new cases for weeks (3 weeks in the Southern DHB that at one time had the most cases – 216 – but now has just 7 active cases).

Yesterday there was little change to the New Zealand Covid numbers

Same again today although a few more cases – 6 (2 confirmed, 4 probable) compared to 3 yesterday.

Five of the new cases can be traced to a known source.

And there is one more death today – another resident of the Rosewood Rest Home in Christchurch, a man in his 80s who had been transferred to Burwood Hospital. This makes it about half of all deaths have been from Rosewood.

Regional totals:

I think all the Canterbury deaths may be from Rosewood.

For some time the Southern DHB (Otago and Southland) had the most cases but have not had any new cases for nearly two weeks, and now have a relatively low number of active cases.

Two of those who have died were aged between 60 and 69, while the rest were over 70.

The first media conference for Anzac weekend, with Director General of Health Ashley Bloomfield updating the usual statistics:

5 new cases (1 confirmed and 4 probable) – total now 1,469

Note – 27 April: There are five new cases today, one confirmed and four probable cases. Six cases that were probable yesterday have been reclassified as under investigation or not a case following discussion with MOH. This results in a net decrease in total cases by one.

1 more death, a women in her 90s from St Margaret’s rest home who had been a confirmed case. She’s the third from the cluster to have died.

38 more people have recovered.

7 in hospital, 1 in ICU (unchanged)

A new health order comes into effect at 11:59 tonight (as we move to Level 3 lockdown).

Health Act (COVID-19 Alert Level 3) Order 2020

Southern was the area with most cases for some time, but has now been passed by Waitemata.  There have been no new cases in the Southern area for nine days.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern talks about the move to Level 3 and a bunch of general information and numbers. If this is posted I’ll repeat it here.

It is not and cannot be a return to pre-Covid life.

“We will never know what will have happened if we hadn’t gone into Level 4 lockdown…”

She asks for everyone’s help in helping with contract tracing – record where you’ve been and who you have been with.

Cabinet will consider in two weeks time whether to adjust levels again or not.

“We can only do this if we all pull together”.

“We cannot lose the gains we have made so if we have to remain at Level 3 for longer we will”.

Limited Parliament will start up again tomorrow.

This will be the last regular joint media conference with Ardern and Bloomfield so Ardern thanks Dr Bloomfield (but says they could be back together at irregular media conferences.

More to come, maybe.

Despite being the weekend Covid cases have bounced back up a bit with 9 new cases (4 confirmed, 5 probable).

Four are linked to existing clusters and 5 linked to known cases so new sources.

Total cases now 1,479.

No new deaths, total remains at 18.

Still 7 in hospital, 1 in ICU in Middlemore.

24 more people have recovered, total recovered now 1,142 – this is 78% of all confirmed and probable cases.

Almost 6,000 tests which is just a little under the test rate of the previous few days.

Director-General Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield said in a statement although it’s encouraging to have another day of single digit cases, vigilance remains crucial.

“As we prepare to move to Alert Level 3 on Tuesday morning, it’s really important not to slacken off the effort.

“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.”

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/415153/covid-19-live-updates-from-new-zealand-and-around-the-world-on-26-april

1 more death – total now 18

A woman in her 70s at Waitakere Hospital who was one of the residents from St Margarets Hospital and Rest Home who had been transferred to the hospital earlier this month.

Deaths keep creeping up, most of them from two rest homes. Some argue that this proves the lockdown was too severe, but it’s impossible to know what the death toll would have been if it was not as severe, except that there would almost certainly have been more.

5 more cases – total now 1,461

23 more recovered – total now 1,118

7 people in hospital (1 in ICU)

6,777 more tests – total now 115,015

So a lot more tests being done and only 5 more cases each day over the last two days