No patients are in hospital with Covid-19 for the first time since New Zealand went into lockdown.
The good news comes as director general of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield revealed there are no new Covid-19 cases today. It is the fifth day in a row since New Zealand has recorded a case. There are only 21 active coronavirus cases, he says.
One more person has recovered from the virus, Dr Bloomfield says. There are just 21 active cases.
There are no additional deaths and there is no one in hospital being treated for coronavirus.
Yesterday one patient was in Middlemore Hospital and Dr Bloomfield said he believed today was the first time in a few months no-one was in hospital being treated for Covid-19.
Bloomfield said back in alert level 4 a lot of people got out to exercise and he encouraged them to continue those habits.
On Monday, the Ministry of Health said New Zealand would eliminate the virus if there are no new cases for at least 28 days and the country continues to have strong border measures.
The last confirmed case was on May 22, and was a household contact linked to the St Margaret's cluster in Auckland.
International students to return?
There's a piece of work underway to allow international students back into the country, but everyone coming in would need to comply with quarantine or managed self-isolation.
Bloomfield doesn't sign off on screen industry exemptions, they go to Phil Twyford.
Bloomfield said he signed off applicants for infrastructure needs.
He said he'd only signed off on "a handful".
For foreigners coming into the country on exemptions, the Ministry is looking at options for those people to self-isolate or quarantine in their country of origin and testing before they fly but the current requirements are still for them to use the managed facilities.
The focus of testing will shift when the country moves down to alert level 1.
There is a proposal before Cabinet for a testing regime at the border to begin on June 8.
The move to alert level 1
The Ministry advice given to Cabinet on Monday was for another four weeks at alert level 2 and at the moment that advice stands, Bloomfield said.
Officials wanted to be certain that relaxing activities didn't come with more infections.
The Ministry was "working hard" on what alert level 1 would look like and what arrangements would need to be in place for the transtasman bubble.
The Ministry has asked for more advice on when masks should worn from various technical advisory groups.
That advice is still being finalised and would be made available in the last few days.
Yesterday there were no new cases and 97% of all probable and confirmed coronavirus cases had recovered.
There have been just three new cases of Covid-19 in the past fortnight.
On Monday, the Ministry of Health said New Zealand would eliminate the virus if there are no new cases for at least 28 days and the country continues to have strong border measures.
The last confirmed case was on May 22, and was a household contact linked to the St Margaret's cluster in Auckland.
