Director-General Dr Ashley Bloomfield (right). Source/File
For the sixth consecutive day, there are no new COVID-19 cases in Aotearoa. National COVID-19 cases remain the same – 5 positive cases, 2 probable cases and the two patients that were suspected to have the virus are now at home.
The Auckland Pasifika Festival has been cancelled after concerns raised by MFAT and the MBIE. It is unknown whether the ASB Polyfest will follow suit. Concerns have increased in the light of the WHO declaring COVID-19 a worldwide pandemic.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern stated that her government has been acting as if it was a pandemic long before the announcement. Yesterday Director-General Dr Ashley Bloomfield reminded the public of the effectiveness of the early countermeasures that the government had employed:
“The effectiveness of our measures to date, is apparent in part, through the low number of cases we have.
“The fact that we have gone early on things like travel restrictions, on self-isolation requirements, and of course, our successful case finding and close contact self-isolation to date.