Covid-19 Update: No new cases overnight
Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield says there have been no new coronavirus cases overnight.
Bloomfield said he was looking for a run of days of zero community cases to inform a decision on moving alert levels.
Auckland is now in its third day of alert level 3 lockdown.
A 21-year-old (Case M) and his mother (Case N) tested positive for the virus during the weekend, prompting the snap lockdown.
Initially it was unclear how Case M caught the virus.
But on Monday Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced undisclosed contact between Case M's mother and another mum involved in Auckland's February cluster.
They had gone for a walk during the region’s level 3 lockdown earlier this month.
Bloomfield said authorities "couldn't take any chances" with alert levels given there were "quite a few exposure events" connected to Case M.
He said there had been high infection rates in the families connected to the cluster and some casual exposure.
“We want to make sure there is not more of those, and we stamp it out.”
Bloomfield said Auckland was only a few days in from when Case M was most infectious, so people would need to “wait and see” if there was any more cases linked to him.
Although he suspected Case M “was not having a good time of it” in terms of backlash over breaching the rules, he said a “punitive approach” could be “counter-productive”.
“We can’t afford to give this virus an inch.”
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Lest we forget...
On this ANZAC Day, let's take a moment to remember and honor the brave men and women who have served and continue to serve our country.
Tell us who are you honouring today. Whether it's a story from the battlefield or a memory of a family member who fought in the war, we'd love you to share your stories below.
Poll: Does the building consent process need to change?
We definitely need homes that are fit to live in but there are often frustrations when it comes to getting consent to modify your own home.
Do you think changes need made to the current process for building consent? Share your thoughts below.
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91.4% Yes
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8.1% No
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0.5% Other - I'll share below!
Revamp an open wardrobe
Cut visual clutter and give tired shelves new life with doors and colourful Resene paint.