Another southerner has died from Covid-19.
The death, the second in Otago and Southland during this latest outbreak of the disease, was one of seven reported by the Ministry of Health yesterday, a record daily number of deaths.
The ministry did not confirm where in the region the person who died came from.
A Southern District Health Board spokeswoman said the person died at a residential aged-care facility.
It is known that Bradford Manor in Dunedin had a Covid outbreak, but the spokeswoman said this person lived at a different facility.
A dozen southerners were in hospital with Covid-19 yesterday, eight in Dunedin and four in Southland.
None were in intensive care.
A further 877 cases of Covid-19 were confirmed in the region yesterday, the 100 new cases in Invercargill taking the city’s number of active cases past 1000.
Nationally, 20,989 new cases were reported.
The SDHB said case numbers in the region were expected to rise in the coming weeks, and it expected to start using its biggest self-isolation facility, the former Aaron Lodge motel in Bradford, soon.
"This accommodation is available for people and their whanau who have tested positive or been exposed to Covid-19, and who for various reasons are unable to isolate in their own homes," a spokeswoman said.
"We are committed to the safety of all SIQ [self-isolation and quarantine] guests and neighbours, and SIQ residents will not be allowed visitors, and they will not be permitted to come and go from the facility."
Meanwhile, primary health organisation WellSouth yesterday announced it had increased the number of sites where people could pick up pre-ordered rapid antigen tests to 50, more than any other region in the country.
"Pharmacies, general practices and other agencies in Southern are going out of their way to do their part helping people access Covid Rats," WellSouth nursing director Wendy Findlay said.
"We are very grateful they have taken on this extra responsibility to help their communities and whanau, and we also appreciate that so many people in the community are getting tested when they have symptoms.”
