COVID-19 Update: 21 April 2020

We are at

of New Zealand’s four-level COVID-19 alert system. It is likely Level 4 measures will stay in place for a number of weeks. More information on alert levels.

• Everyone must now stay home, except those providing essential services.
• Only make physical contact with those that you live with.

Government COVID-19 Response Briefing

The All of Government COVID-19 National Response will provide an update at 1.00 pm today.

Speakers:

• Hon Chris Hipkins, Minister of Education
• Dr Ashley Bloomfield, Director-General of Health.

Ministry of Health Update:

• 5 new cases, 2 new confirmed cases and 3 new probable cases.
• Total is 1445
• Another death, woman in 70s, was resident of St Margarets Rest Home
• 1006 recovered
• 12 in hospital, 3 in ICU. None critical.
• 16 significant clusters
• 89,503 tests have now been run. More than 2000 tests were run yesterday.
• The range of illnesses which cause respiratory issues have halted during lockdown, so fewer people are seeking tests.
• Bloomfield said the first evidence that children don’t transmit the virus came from the World Health Organisation in March.
• He said there were no instances of children passing the virus to adults and that’s been observed in other countries. In NZ, only a small number of cases are under 10 and they’re linked to family transmission.
• I’m not sure quoting WHO “evidence” from China fills anyone with confidence.

Minister of Education Update:

• Parliament to meet again on April 28
• Expected to be reduced numbers of MPs
• Copperfields won’t be operating
• Normal sitting hours will be variable
• While at Alert Level the government will not progress it’s legislative agenda
• Under alert level 3, most children will be learning from home still. Schools will only be open for families that need to have their children at school
• Education for students in years 11 to 13 will continue remotely
• Universities will be mostly remote, only allowing staff and students to only attend when crucial – such as hands on research.
• If students went home to join their family bubble, they must stay home
• Teachers will have a teacher-only day on Tuesday 28 of April. Children will only be allowed at school, under the detailed conditions, from Wednesday 29 April.

Yesterday’s details:

• 9 new cases,  7 new confirmed cases and 2 new probable cases.
• Total of confirmed and probable cases is 1440.
• 974 people with COVID-19 who have recovered
• 14 people in hospital with COVID-19. The total includes three people in ICU – one each in Middlemore, Dunedin and North Shore hospitals.
• Two of these ICU patients are in a critical condition.
• 16 significant clusters – no change from yesterday. 1 additional case has been added to one of these clusters.
• 3081 COVID-19 tests were processed. The rolling 7-day average is 3354, and 86,305 total tests have been processed to date.

Notes:

1. A probable case is one without a positive laboratory result, but which is treated like a confirmed case based on its exposure history and clinical symptoms. For more details please refer to Case definition of COVID-19 infection.
2. Recovered cases are people who had the virus, are at least 10 days since onset and have not exhibited symptoms for 48 hours, and have been cleared by the health professional responsible for their monitoring.
3. The number of confirmed and probable cases reported in the last 24 hours includes cases which were entered on an earlier date as ‘under investigation’ or ‘suspected’ whose status has now been changed to confirmed or probable.

View details of confirmed and probable cases.

View details of significant COVID-19 clusters.

View testing data by region.

View interactive map and dashboard.

Confirmed and probable cases by DHB

Total cases by DHB in hospital

Note: Three of the 12 in hospital are in ICU as at 8.30 am 21 April 2020.

The above count excludes the five patients in Waitakere Hospital who have been moved from their aged residential care facility due to staffing issues.

Download the Map of confirmed and probable cases by DHB (PDF, 282 KB).

Total cases in hospital by DHB

Source: ESR EpiSurv extract as at 09:00 20 April 2020

Epidemic Curve

Total Cases by Age and Gender

Ethnicity percentages of all cases

Transmission

This information refers to the 1,445 confirmed and probable cases as at 9.00 am 21 April 2020.

Lab testing and capacity

For a detailed break down of ethnicity and DHB region testing see Testing by region.

COVID-19 – tests by day and cumulative

Note: Two sets of cumulative test data have been reconciled to give cumulative total from 22 January 2020 when testing began.