[Source: RNZ]

There are 24 new COVID-19 cases in the community today, 18 of which are in Auckland.

The other six are in Waikato. Three of the Waikato cases were made public yesterday but are included in today’s numbers.

There are two cases in recent returnees in managed isolation and quarantine.

Of today’s 24 cases, seven are yet to be linked. Of yesterday’s cases, eight cases remain unlinked. All the Waikato cases are linked.

There remain 12 active subclusters where there have been recent cases.

Based on already notified cases and their contacts, an additional 48 cases are expected.

There were 14,905 tests were processed nationwide yesterday with 12,595 of those in Auckland. More than 85,000 swabs have been taken across Auckland in the past seven days.

Waikato DHB has not identified any locations of interest in Hamilton city at this stage. All potential exposure events have had direct interactions between individuals.

New locations may be added to the ministry’s list online as they come through.

Today marks seven weeks since the first case in this outbreak was identified and New Zealand moved to heightened alert levels.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said despite the measures introduced in the first phase of lowering restrictions for Auckland, the city will continue to have some of the toughest restrictions of anywhere in the world.

Ardern said in one case a person was unvaccinated with the virus in their household, but not one of their family members – who were vaccinated – got the virus.

Only 3 percent of cases in this outbreak were vaccinated, and modelling suggests vaccination has already reduced infections to about half what they could have been, she said.