New Zealand reported nine new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday as the government is considering whether to lift the lockdown next week, Trend reports citing Xinhua.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Ashley Bloomfield, director-general of Health from New Zealand Ministry of Health, updated the numbers on Sunday afternoon, with four new confirmed and five new probable cases of COVID-19 overnight.
The total number of COVID-19 cases stood at 1,431. Eighteen people are currently being treated in hospitals, including three people in ICU.
Although community transmission constitutes only 2 percent of the total COVID-19 cases in New Zealand, there are 16 clusters of COVID-19 outbreaks across the country, including five significant clusters at aged residential care facilities.
It is also confirmed on Sunday that 131 health workers have contracted COVID-19 with 50 percent being infected in workplaces.
New Zealand has already reported 12 deaths caused by COVID-19. A man who passed away at home in Invercargill days ago has been confirmed as a COVID-19 death.
New Zealand has conducted a total of 83,224 COVID-19 tests nationwide. Community testing to help determine whether there is any undetected community transmission has taken place across the country in Queenstown, Waikato, Canterbury and Auckland.
The results of the testing have not indicated undetected community transmission yet. Prime Minister Ardern encouraged people with any symptoms to take COVID-19 tests, saying that a decision on whether to lift the lockdown measures will be made on Monday afternoon.
The country has closed its border to non-residents from March 19 and declared a national emergency on March 26.
From April 10, passengers from overseas entering New Zealand are required to go through government-managed isolation for 14 days before any onward travel in New Zealand.