21 new Covid-19 cases in NZ: Jacinda Ardern warns infections will rise

The Covid-19 outbreak in New Zealand is growing, with 21 new infections detected, bringing the total number of new cases to 51.

There have been 21 new cases of Covid-19 detected in New Zealand, bringing the total number of people infected in the latest outbreak to 51.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern indicated she not think the latest outbreak had hit its peak.

Because Auckland is at the centre of the outbreak, she said it was “very likely” restrictions would remain beyond Tuesday.

The Cabinet of New Zealand is meeting on Monday to make a decision on the country’s level 4 lockdown restrictions.

New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern speaks about Covid-19. Picture: AFP

Ms Ardern said she expected cases to rise into early next week.

The virus can continue to spread during lockdown, as has been seen in New South Wales, Ms Ardern said.

She described the 825 cases announced in NSW today as “devastating”.

18 new cases in Auckland, 3 in Wellington

Eighteen of the new cases are in Auckland and three in Wellington - one of which was reported yesterday, Ms Ardern said.

Twenty-one of the 51 cases are now confirmed as part of the Auckland cluster.

Covid 19 was found in wastewater at the Northland Peninsula town of Warkworth on Tuesday.

A pop-up centre has been erected in Warkworth and it is encouraged anyone with symptoms to get a test.

Traces of Covid-19 have been found in Auckland wastewater this week too.

17 people charged over lockdown breaches

Seventeen people have been charged with breaking with Covid-19 lockdown restrictions this lockdown, Ms Ardern said.

A further 70 people have been issued infringements.

Ms Ardern applauded the numbers as very low in the circumstances.

PM defends speed of releasing locations of interest

Locations of interest prior to August 7 have been taken of the list, Ms Ardern said. This needs to be updated on the Ministry of Health (MOH) site though, she added.

“There is always a balance to be struck,” between getting locations of interest up quickly on the MOH site, and putting up wrong locations of interest that lead to an influx of people getting tested unnecessarily, Ms Ardern said.

Director of Public Health Dr Caroline McElnay said people who were close contacts would have already been contacted by health officials before the new locations went up on the locations of interest site.

10,000 contacts in cluster expected by end of today

Five thousand and sixty five contacts had been identified so far in this cluster and a further 5000 close contacts expected by end of today.

Ms McElnay says infected Kiwis dealing which contact tracers were often very stressed and it took some time to get accurate locations of interest.