There are seven new cases of Covid-19 reported in Aotearoa today, all found in managed isolation hotels.
The Ministry of Health says all cases were detected as a result of day three testing and are now in quarantine, with the exception of one arrival, a woman in her 60s who arrived from Uzbekistan and was tested in Hamilton.
Four of the other cases were found in Hamilton who all arrived from India on September 12. They include a man in his 60s a man in his 30s a woman in her 20s and a child between one and four years old.
In Wellington a woman in her 30s who arrived from the United States on 12 September tested positive. In Christchurch a man in his 40s who arrived from Indonesia on 12 September and was in managed isolation.
There are four people in hospital with Covid-19.
“One each at Auckland City and North Shore hospitals and two in Middlemore. All are in isolation on a ward. There are no cases in ICU,” the ministry said in a statement.
Auckland cluster
There are 54 people linked to the Auckland community cluster who remain in the Auckland quarantine hotel including 23 people who have tested positive and their household contacts.
Since August 11, 4,043 close contacts of cases have been identified, of which 4,036 have been contacted and are self-isolating.
Nine cases have recovered so the total number of active cases is 77, including 33 imported and 44 community cases.
The total number of confirmed cases in New Zealand is 1,458.
Rotorua escape
Rotorua residents said they were annoyed to learn today that a man absconded through a fenced area from the Rotorua managed isolation hotel, the Sudima Rotorua, last night.
Security has since been increased at the hotel.
The man was missing for half an hour late last night.
He was reported missing at 11pm yesterday, which led to a search by NZ Defence Force staff.
Police are investigating the incident and checking CCTV security footage to establish exactly where the man went during that time.
The man had tested negative for his day 3 test after arriving from Brisbane on September 8.