24 Sep 2021

Covid-19 briefing: Upper Hauraki to move to alert level 2

2:26 pm on 24 September 2021

The Upper Hauraki area will join most of New Zealand in alert level 2 after no further positive results, the deputy prime minister has confirmed.

Grant Robertson and Director of Public Health Dr Caroline McElnay have provided an update on the current Covid-19 outbreak.

Watch the update here:

Dr McElnay said today that all the results of people from Upper Hauraki have come back negative, except for members of the household which has had positive cases.

Robertson then confirmed the area will move from alert level 3 to 2 at 11.59pm on Saturday.

First dose of the vaccination in the area is at 60.1 percent.

"We've had an incredible response from the Upper Hauraki community," Robertson said.

There were nine community cases reported in Auckland today, down from 15 yesterday. All of today's cases have been linked to existing cases.

"Today's case numbers are encouraging and they indicate that the hard work of Aucklanders in particular is paying off," Robertson said.

"We do feel we are getting on top of this outbreak."

But he said that job was not yet done and Aucklanders needed to remember to stick to their bubble and the rules this weekend.

He said yesterday's modelling release was not scaremongering.

"This is modelling that was provided to the government, in a transparent way it's been put out there. Of course it's contested. And bear in mind, the outcome it's determined by what we all do.

"If we can get our levels of vaccination up that will give us options to return to some of the freedoms that we know people want."

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