Seven more Covid-19 cases in Canterbury

The total number of Covid-19 cases in the Canterbury DHB area has grown by seven in the last 24 hours, with the total now standing at 99.

At Tuesday's update, Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield announced 54 new confirmed and probable cases in New Zealand, bringing the national total to 1160 cases.

The Canterbury DHB continues to have the fifth-highest number of cases behind the Southern, Waitemata, Waikato and Auckland DHB areas.

The South Canterbury DHB area still has 10 Covid-19 cases.

Nationwide 12 people are in hospital with Covid-19 with four in ICU. One person is in a critical condition.

New Zealand has 54 new coronavirus cases today.

The new cases are made up of 32 confirmed cases and 22 probable cases.

It brings the total number of cases since the pandemic began to 1160.

Two hundred and forty one people have recovered.

Twelve people are still in hospital, Bloomfield said.

One of the people in intensive care is in the Southern District, he said.

The Ministry of Health says there is only one person in hospital in the South and they are at Dunedin Hospital. 

There is 2 per cent community transmission.

There have been more than 42,800 tests so far, almost 3000 yesterday.

Bloomfield said the World Health Organisation is not advising that people using masks outside at all times.

On Health Minister David Clark, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said: "What he did was wrong, and there is no excuses."

She said the Government cannot afford massive disruption to the health case system.

"He broke the rules, and he needs to pay a price."

Health Minister David Clark said he offered his resignation to Ardern.

Although he kept his Health portfolio, he was stripped of Associate Finance and demoted to the bottom of the cabinet ranking.

Ardern said under normal circumstances, "I would sack the Minister of Health".

Clark this morning admitted to a 40km round trip to the beach with his family during the first week of the lockdown – something that was specifically advised against by the Ministry he leads.

This comes after he was forced to admit a 2.3-kilometre drive to a mountain bike trail last week.

She said Clark was "under no illusions" that she expects better.

Ardern said it was a "massive mistake".

She said removing Clark as the Minister was "not in the best interests for New Zealanders".

Finance Minister Grant Robertson will take over from Clark's Associate Finance responsibilities.

She said she was not interested in Clark's excuses - "not that he offered any".

On coronavirus, Ardern said: "We do appear to be on track".

But she said this is not the time to relax.

Ardern said she had messaged Boris Johnson when he was first diagnosed with Covid-19.

The British PM was admitted to ICU early this morning after his condition deteriorated.

Summary

As at 9am, 7 April 2020
 Total to dateNew in last 24 hours
Number of confirmed cases in New Zealand94332
Number of probable cases21722
Number of confirmed and probable cases1,16054
Number of cases in hospital12 
Number of recovered cases24165
Number of deaths1 

View full details of the confirmed cases.

View details of significant COVID-19 clusters.

Total cases by DHB

As at 9.00 am, 7 April 2020

Total cases of COVID-19 by DHB

 

Map showing number of cases by DHB - see data table following.

Total cases by DHB, as at 9.00 am, 7 April 2020
DHBNumber of casesChange in last 24 hours
Auckland1536
Bay of Plenty364
Canterbury997
Capital and Coast822
Counties Manukau887
Hawke's Bay330
Hutt Valley201
Lakes120
MidCentral281
Nelson Marlborough444
Northland181
South Canterbury100
Southern18710
Tairāwhiti10
Taranaki140
Waikato1569
Wairarapa80
Waitemata1603
West Coast40
Whanganui7-1
Total116054

Total cases in hospital by DHB

As at 9.00 am, 7 April 2020
DHBTotal cases
Auckland2
Bay of Plenty (Tauranga)1
Capital & Coast (Wellington)2
Counties Manukau (Middlemore)1
Southern (Dunedin)1
Tairāwhiti1
Waikato2
Waitemata2
Total12

ODT, NZ Herald