Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield. [File Photo]

Four more people have died from COVID-19 in New Zealand in the past 24 hours, the Health Ministry has confirmed.

Nine people have now died in this country from the coronavirus.

This is the highest number of deaths in a day in New Zealand.

Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield said all four deaths were men, and three were linked to the cluster at the Rosewood Rest Home in Christchurch.

“It is a sobering reminder of what is at stake here,” Dr Bloomfield said.

He offered condolences on behalf of New Zealand.

Dr Bloomfield said aged residential care settings were very vulnerable.

“We have had cases to date in six facilities around the country, this is from a total of about 650 facilities nationwide.”

He said the fact that relatively few facilities had reported infections was the result of hard work on the behalf of the rest and care homes, alongside the Ministry of Health.

Every new arrival in a facility must now go into isolation for 14 days now, and meals are taken separately.

Other health Ministry work to help aged care facilities was also underway, including work to supply PPE.

There was also a low threshold for testing, Dr Bloomfield said.

Dr Bloomfield said there would be an announcement later in the week about funding for aged care facilities.

“I have also decided to commission a review of the aged residential care facilities where we have had cases … we think it’s a very good point in time to undertake a review,” Dr Bloomfield said.