A further 2035 cases of Covid-19 have been identified in New Zealand.

There are 273 people in hospital with the virus, including 3 in intensive care.

Health officials also reported 12 Covid-related deaths, including one person in their 20s.

One person was in their 60s, three were in their 70s, five were in their 80s and two people were aged over 90.

Seven were from Auckland, one person was from Waikato, one was from Bay of Plenty, one was from Taranaki and two people were from Canterbury.

Meanwhile, there are 273 cases in hospital, including three people in ICU.

In a statement, the ministry said the total number of deaths in New Zealand attributed to the virus was 1933.

In the past seven days, there has been an average of seven deaths confirmed each day as being attributable to Covid-19.

Meanwhile, the weekly rolling average of Covid-19 cases today is 1719, compared with 2251 a week ago.

For hospitalisations, the weekly rolling average today is 267, while last Tuesday it was 339.

The locations of the 273 cases in hospital are Northland (three), Waitematā (40), Counties Manukau (33), Auckland (49), Waikato (37), Bay of Plenty (five), Lakes (five), Hawke's Bay (one), MidCentral (seven), Whanganui (two), Taranaki (three), Tairawhiti (one), Wairarapa (three),Capital & Coast (eleven), Hutt Valley (13), Nelson Marlborough (two), Canterbury (38), West Coast (one), South Canterbury (11) and Southern (eight).

As figures are dropping, Cabinet is considering what remaining restrictions should be relaxed and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern revealed that the Government is considering axing the traffic light system.

However, some experts have urged against completely abandoning our last lines of defence - masks and home isolation - stressing the virus hasn't gone anywhere and warning that decisions made could shape the health of Kiwis over decades to come.

Covid-19 Response Minister Ayesha Verrall wouldn't detail what was on the table ahead of the next Cabinet decision, but the Government appears to have signalled mask mandates may be dropped in all but the most high-risk health settings.

Most of New Zealand's restrictions have gradually been lifted.

Vaccine mandates remain only for certain health and disability roles. Masks are required on domestic flights, public transport and in public facilities and retail businesses, but not in cafes, bars and restaurants.

While a seven-day isolation period remains in place for infected people and their household contacts, quarantine-free travel into the country is now open to everyone - provided they're vaccinated and take two rapid antigen tests (RATs) on arrival.

Last week, Ardern told media the review would look at whether all settings - not just those within the traffic light framework - were fit for purpose.

Meanwhile, top New Zealand epidemiologist Michael Baker says the Covid-19 traffic light framework has outlived its usefulness.

Baker would like to see the country move on to a more straightforward system.

"People may say we've had enough of frameworks, but we do need a common language," says Baker.

The Otago University-based infectious disease expert says we could draw on other examples also designed to keep society safe from harm.

"When you drive through the countryside in summer, you have a big sign that you see regularly, which has a five-point scale about the risk of fire... We need something as simple as that to give you an idea of the level of risk. And the red zone should really be reserved for when we are at risk of overwhelming our health system.