The All of Government COVID-19 National Response will provide an update at 1.00 pm today.
Speaker:
- Dr Ashley Bloomfield, Director-General of Health
Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield is giving the latest update on Covid-19 cases in New Zealand and the government’s response.
Live update:
- There have been another four covid-19 related deaths.
- That means the total number of deaths is nine.
- All four deaths were men. Three were linked to Rosewood Rest Home.
- “It is a sobering reminder of what is at stake here,” Dr Ashley Bloomfield said. He offered condolences on behalf of New Zealand.
- Dr Bloomfield said aged residential care settings were very vulnerable. “We have had cases to date … in six … facilities around the country, this is from a total of about 650 facilities nationwide.”He said the fact that relatively few facilities had had infections was the result of hard work on the behalf of the rest and care homes, alongside the Ministry of Health.Every new arrival in a facility must now go into isolation for 14 days now, and meals are taken separately.Other MOH work to help aged care facilities was also underway, including work to supply PPE. There was also a low threshold for testing, Dr Bloomfield said.
- Dr Bloomfield said there would be an announcement later in the week about funding for aged care facilities.
- “I have also decided to commission a review of the aged residential care facilities where we have had cases … we think it’s a very good point in time to undertake a review,” Dr Bloomfield said.
- There are a total of 17 new Covid-19 cases. Eight are confirmed, nine are probable.
- The total cases is 1366. There are 15 people in hospital, three in ICU. One is in a critical condition.
- 1572 tests were processed yesterday. About 64,400 tests have been taken in total.
Watch the media conference here at 1pm:
ater today.
https://youtu.be/e7wlAqpjuCM