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National | Alert Level 3

23 new Covid cases in Auckland; all tests in Whakatīwai negative

As Tāmaki Makaurau moved down to alert level 3, 23 cases were reported today by Dr Ashley Bloomfield at 1pm's presser.

All are in the Auckland region, and they take the total in the Delta outbreak to 1,108. Some 835 cases have now recovered.

There is one new case at the border in recent returnees, in managed isolation.

Of today's new cases, 22 are considered to be epidemiologically linked to the outbreak. Eleven are household contacts, including six within one household, five are known close contacts and one is likely a close contact. Investigations and interviews continue to be conducted for the remaining one yet to be linked.

There are 13 people in hospital, with two people in ICU.

A total of 9,780 test swabs were taken yesterday, which Bloomfield says is "a great turnout for testing centres."

Whakatīwai update

"We're also seeing a good response to testing in Upper Hauraki," Bloomfield says.

"Drive-through testing centres yesterday at two marae took a further 403 swabs, and all results today have been negative.

"A further 1700 tests were taken in the wider Waikato region, and all also returned negative."

Based on the high levels of testing and negative results, Bloomfield says the Upper Hauraki region can now also move down to Alert level 3 with the rest of Auckland.