Coronavirus update: 36 new confirmed cases in New Zealand

March 23, 2020

181

1584920533894 — KEVIN STENT/STUFF Crowds at Wellington's Harbourside Market on Sunday, despite social distancing warnings.

There are 36 new cases of coronavirus in the country, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 102.

Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield updated the number of confirmed New Zealand cases of Covid-19 at about 12.30pm on Monday.

Over half of the new cases are directly related to overseas travel, while the remaining two are being treated as community transmission.

Just over 1200 tests were carried out on Sunday. A total of 7400 have been carried out overall.

Of the two cases suspected of being community transmission, one – in Auckland – is new, and the other is a case in Wairarapa reported on Sunday.

“Most of our cases are still from people who travelled to New Zealand from overseas,” Bloomfield said. “An increasing number is people who have had close contact with those who have been overseas.”

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern would address NZ’s coronavirus threat alert level – currently at level 2 – on Monday afternoon, Bloomfield said.

There were 14 new cases of coronavirus on Sunday, bringing the total number of cases to 66. That was the highest one-day rise in the number of Covid-19 patients to date.

There was now a focus on the two cases of possible community transmission announced on Saturday, and a cattle fair in Queenstown where at least four people were infected with the disease.

ROSS GIBLIN/STUFF
Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield.

For now, the Covid-19 threat remains at Level 2, where people are asked to reduce contact with others. People over 70 years of age or who have pre-existing health conditions are advised to stay home.