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National | Covid-19 Testing

Eleven new Covid-19 cases, two in hospital

Eleven new community cases of Covid-19 were identified overnight and two people have been taken to hospital.

Health director-general Dr Ashley Bloomfield says that means there are 21 community cases in total in Aotearoa, all identified in Auckland.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern also confirmed genomic testing has identified the current Delta outbreak is linked to a recent Sydney returnee who arrived on a red zone flight.

Bloomfield says the two people who were taken to hospital with Covid-19 are one person in their 20s and one in their 40s. They were taken to North Shore Hospital overnight.

“One had worsening symptoms from Covid-19 and the other is symptomatic and has underlying conditions. Both are in a stable condition," Bloomfield says.

Twelve of the 21 cases have been confirmed as being a part of the same Delta variant cluster and a further eight are being investigated, he says.

“All of these cases in the community are being transferred safely to the Auckland quarantine facility or are already there.”

Meanwhile, one of the previously reported cases of the 21 is confirmed to be unlikely linked to the cluster.

"That is the aircrew member. This is essentially a border-related case.”

Bloomfield says the new community cases are not unexpected.

“We would expect the number of cases to grow in particular because of the large number of locations of interest and the mobility of these cases before the lockdown started.”

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