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National | Health

Woman dies after recovering from COVID-19, eight cases remain active

An Auckland woman in her nineties has passed away after covering from COVID-19.

Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield says the woman, Eileen Hunter, was a resident from St Margaret's Hospital and Rest Home in Te Atatū.

“She was much loved by all those who knew her. She was confirmed as having COVID-19 in mid-April and had been transferred from St Margaret's to Waitākere Hospital and then to North Shore Hospital for care.”

Once recovered, with two negative test results, she was transferred back to St Margaret's Rest Home, he says.

“The family has asked the Ministry to pass on their thanks for the care of their mother at St Margaret's and Waitākere Hospitals and in turn, I’d like to extend our sympathy to her family for their loss.”

Dr Bloomfield says COVID-19 is not recorded as the cause of her death in her death certificate.

“However, after consideration, we have decided to include her death in our overall tally of COVID-19-related deaths consistent with our inclusive approach to date so that we have got a good idea of the full impact of this condition on our health and wellbeing on New Zealand."

This means the total number of deaths related to the infection in Aotearoa is 22.

Coronavirus: Government COVID-19 national response update

Coronavirus: Government COVID-19 national response update with Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield

Posted by Te Ao Māori News on Wednesday, May 27, 2020

Eight cases remain active

Dr Bloomfield says New Zealand’s total number of confirmed and probable cases remains at 1,504.

This is made up of 1,154 confirmed cases and 350 probable cases.

“There are 12 additional recovered cases and this total is now 1,474. We only have eight remaining cases considered to be active.”

There are no people in hospital with the infection.

"Yesterday laboratories completed 4,255 tests, bringing the total number of tests completed to date to 271,690," says Dr Bloomfield.

Information on all COVID-19 cases will be posted at the Ministry of Health website.