There are no new cases of COVID-19 to report in the community today.
 
There are three new cases to report in recent returnees in managed isolation facilities.
 
Seven previously reported cases have now recovered.
 
This brings the total number of active cases in New Zealand today to 23.
 
Our total number of confirmed cases is now 2,257.
 
Since 1 January 2021, there have been 49 historical cases, out of a total of 441 cases.

Officials are continuing their investigation into a traveller from Perth who flew to New Zealand despite the lockdown in Western Australia.

The man managed to board a Sydney-bound plane in Perth while the city was in lockdown and then travel on to Auckland.

A Ministry of Health statement this afternoon is likely to contain further details on the situation as the man, who has since been placed in managed isolation, awaits testing on day 12 of his time in New Zealand.

Today it was revealed border agency systems matched the name of the traveller to his original destination before he landed in New Zealand, however by the time it was confirmed the plane had been on the ground for an hour and he had already left the airport.

If charged, he could face a $4000 fine or six months in jail.

The ministry will also provide an update on case numbers on the day new rules about travel from Covid-19 hotspots come into effect.

Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins last week announced that New Zealand permanent residents would not be allowed to travel home directly from India, Brazil, Pakistan and Papua New Guinea as of today.

least 14 days in a non-very-high risk country before returning home.

New Zealand citizens will still be allowed to travel directly back from any country.

The new rules were expected to reduce the number of travellers from those countries by 75 per cent. It also means there will be about 140 fewer arrivals per week from India compared to the period from March 1 until mid-April.

Yesterday there were two new cases of Covid-19 reported in managed isolation - one from the United States and one from Japan.

Associate Health Minister Ayesha Verrall yesterday said about 232,000 vaccines had been administered in New Zealand so far.

There have been 172,564 people who have had first doses, and about 60,024 who have had both doses.

In the past seven days, there were 47,981 vaccine doses administered.

She said there were enough doses to vaccinate the whole country, although some people would have to be patient.

As of yesterday, 95 per cent of MIQ workers had been vaccinated. Those who were unvaccinated would be redeployed from the front line from the end of the month.

Director general of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield said 488 early vaccination applications had been received from Sport NZ and included Black Caps and Olympians. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade had also made seven applications.