- 32 new cases of COVID-19 and 22 new probable cases have been confirmed in the past 24 hours. This brings the total number of cases to 1160. 12 people are in hospital, with 1 person in a critical condition. 241 people have recovered from COVID-19. Of the total cases, 91 are Māori, and 40 are Pasifika. A total of 3063 tests are being undertaken every day.
- The Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield is expecting the number of new cases to stay level with a gradual decline. Testing in the regions has ramped up with no new clusters. While Marist College has an additional five, Bluff with an additional 11 and Matamata up 1, Dr Bloomfield says it's a good sign the new cases are emerging within the close contacts of the existing clusters.
- The Prime Minister wouldn't rule out an immediate sacking of Minister Health David Clark when the country moves out of the pandemic, following his breaches of the lockdown. In a joint update with Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield the PM said the country cannot afford to see the minister sacked or replace him with someone new as the COVID-19 cases reach 1160.
- Māori are less likely to call the police if they carry arms. The finding comes from a survey of 1155 Māori and Pasifika people on NZ police's armed response trial which ends this month. 87 percent of people said knowing police were armed in their community made them feel less safe, and 91 percent said they were less likely to call the police in family violence situations if they knew the police had guns. Justice Reform advocate Laura O'Connell-Rapira said the survey results show people would rather see police invest in a community partnership approach, such as the iwi checkpoints during the COVID-19 lockdown.
- The confirmed case at the Kaikohe supermarket this week has left locals feeling anxious and prompting them to get tested. Within the first 3-days of operation, the Ngāpuhi testing station saw 400 people and 100 tests. The site spokesperson Rhonda Zielinski-Toki says the recent scare has been a wake-up call for whānau.