Coronavirus: No new Covid-19 cases for 13th day in a row
For the 13th day in a row New Zealand has no new coronavirus cases, Director General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield said on Thursday.
One active case still remains.
Bloomfield updated the public on our coronavirus situation at a media briefing at the National Library Auditorium on Thursday.
The total number of confirmed cases remains at 1154, which is the number reported to the World Health Organisation. The combined total of confirmed and probable cases remains at 1504.
No-one is currently in hospital with the virus.
READ MORE:
* Coronavirus: No new Covid-19 cases for 12th day in a row
* Covid-19: 11-day streak with no new coronavirus cases on Tuesday
* Coronavirus: 10 days of no new Covid-19 cases in New Zealand
* Coronavirus: No new Covid-19 cases on Wednesday
More than 2600 Covid-19 tests were completed on Wednesday, bringing the total to 286,174 since the pandemic began.
There were now 495,000 registrations for the Government's Covid tracer app, which was up 8000 from the day prior, Bloomfield said.
He encouraged businesses to "get with the programme" and use the app and QR codes for contact tracing.
Because contact tracing was so important, they were looking at a possible requirement on businesses to do so under alert level 1.
At Thursday's press conference Bloomfield spent some time going over the international coronavirus situation.
He listed some international figures, and said more than 124,000 cases were reported to World Health Organisation on June 1, which was the largest number for a single day.
To date, there have been about 6.3 million cases globally, and around 380,000 deaths reported to the WHO.
He reiterated the importance for New Zealanders to remain vigilant and practice good hygiene measures.
"Even though we are looking at a possible move to alert level 1, pending Cabinet decision, this is not life as it was before. We need to make some things a part of our new normal, in particular; staying at home if unwell, obviously hand hygiene, and also meticulous sneezing and coughing into the elbow and keeping a diary of where you have been."
Bloomfield said our health services were increasingly returning to normal. He mentioned the bowel screening programme which was "up and running again".
When answering media questions, Bloomfield said that immunocompromised children were able to return to school and for immunocompromised to go about their daily lives under alert level 1.
In terms of the last remaining active case in New Zealand, Bloomfield said he didn't have specific details but said they were waiting for that person to be "officially declared as recovered".
He said it would be at least a 10-day period since the onset of symptoms and a 48-hour period of being symptom free.
"So it may well be the person is at the tail end of that 10-days," he said.
Bloomfield said they were continuing to observe what was happening with the Covid-19 situation overseas. Experts were also interested to see if there was an emerging seasonal pattern, and case reports were being published around the residual symptoms of loss of smell and taste.
"This has been quite an interesting and unique symptom that there's been more evidence around for, and for some people, this is the only symptom they have or it's an early symptom."
Wednesday was the 12th day in a row that New Zealand had no new Covid-19 cases. One active case still remains.
On Wednesday, Bloomfield said it was "hugely satisfying" to see 12 days in a row with no new cases.
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced the golden rules of level 1 ahead of our move into the lower level.
Stuff