[Source: RNZ]

The Ministry of Health is reporting 5296 new cases of COVID-19 in the community today and a further 19 deaths with the virus.

The seven-day rolling average of community case numbers today is 5812, down sharply from 7618 this time last week.

There are 605 people in hospital with the virus, down from 663 yesterday including 17 in ICU.

The ministry said there is now a total of 1624 deaths confirmed as attributable to COVID-19.

The 19 deaths of people with Covid-19 included two in their 60s, three in their 70s, nine in their 80s and five aged over 90. Eight were women and 11 were men.

Four were from Auckland region, one was from Waikato, two were from Bay of Plenty, one was from Tairawhiti, two were from MidCentral, one was from the Wellington region, two were from Nelson Marlborough, one was from Canterbury and five were from Southern.

There were 6152 new cases of COVID-19 in the community yesterday and a further 49 deaths with the virus.

New Zealand has now recorded a total of 1,634,221 cases of COVID-19.

Public Health Agency’s Deputy Director-General Dr Andrew Old yesterday said daily case rates were trending downwards in all regions for the second week running, dropping 18 percent in the last week to 31 July.

But COVID-19 hospitalisation rates rose by 35 percent in the week to 31 July. Old said all regions barring the Northern region had seen hospitalisation rates increase.