There are 11,063 new Covid cases in the community today and 16 deaths to report. 

Director general of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield said there are 622 people in hospital with the virus, including 23 in intensive care. 

Of the deaths with Covid reported today six were from the Auckland region, one was from Waikato, two were from Whanganui, one was from MidCentral, three were from the Wellington region, two were from Canterbury and one was from Southern. 

One person was aged in their 30s, two were aged in their 50s, three in their 70s, six in their 80s, and four were over 90. 

Of the 622 patients in hospital, 29 are Northland, 99 in Waitemata, 100 in Counties Manukau, 90 in Auckland, 63 in Waikato, 35 in Bay of Plenty, seven in Lakes, three in Tairāwhiti, 19 in Hawke's Bay, 11 in Taranaki, 10 in Whanganui, 26 in MidCentral, three in Wairarapa, 16 in Hutt Valley, 15 in Capital and Coast,13 in Nelson Marlborough, 47 in Canterbury, six in South Canterbury, one in West Coast and 29 in Southern. 

There has now been a 20 per cent drop in case rates since March 27, Bloomfield said. 

Case numbers are now falling in "pretty much" every DHB. 

However he warned of the "long tail" of the virus and said to keep bringing case numbers down it is important people get their booster Covid shot, wear masks indoors when not at home and to stay home when sick. 

The number of people in hospital with Covid is now coming down but is falling at a slower rate than case numbers, Bloomfield said. 

Across Auckland there are now about 20 people being admitted to hospital with Covid each day. 

The number of reported community cases is expected to continue to fluctuate day to day and is usually lower over the weekend with less reporting of results and testing, according to the MoH statement. 

Ministry of Health chief science advisor Dr Ian Town said the pandemic had created unprecedented pressure on the nation's health system. 

There was now an anti-viral therapeutic drug that was also available for treatment of Covid in a further sign of how scientific researching was helping contain the outbreak. 

A study started in February by researchers at Victoria University in Wellington aimed to talk to people who had Covid in New Zealand before December 2021. 

Town said more than 400 people who had Covid had talked to researchers with another 400 people considering taking part in the research project. 

Anyone who had Covid before December last year who wants to take part in the research can call 0800 800 581. 

Town said the ministry was also funding other research, such as speeding up genome sequencing of different Covid variants. 

This research could now be applied to other viruses, such as influenza. 

One of the most high profile studies was by the Medical Research Institute of NZ found that the steroid dexamethasone could achieve good treatment results for people with Covid. 

The Government will review the public health response settings tomorrow. 

An easing of restrictions could mean some or all of the country has the Easter weekend in the less restrictive orange light setting. 

Covid modeller Michael Plank said case numbers and hospitalisations were heading in the right direction. 

He said the number of people in intensive care units had fallen too, which was good news for a possible move from the current red traffic light setting. 

A total of 640 people were in hospital yesterday, including 23 in intensive care. 

"Overall, there are signs that that pressure is abating and I think that's promising [for a] potential move to orange," Plank told the Herald. 

University of Auckland Associate Professor Collin Tukuitonga said case numbers were still hovering around 10,000 and officials shouldn't rush moving New Zealand to orange. 

He said second waves of the outbreak seen in the United Kingdom and the new XE variant should be considered when reviewing the settings. 

The ministry yesterday said a person had died in a fatality considered linked to the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine. 

Officials first reviewed a report of the death in December 2021. 

"At the time, there was not enough information available to determine the potential role of the vaccine," the ministry said. 

The person had myocarditis - a heart muscle inflammation - at the time of death. 

The ministry said weeks before the person's death, the individual had received a dose of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine. 

This was the third death in New Zealand considered to be linked to vaccination with the Pfizer vaccine. 

All three of those cases are now before coroners. 

New Zealand's pandemic death toll reached 500, after 11 deaths linked to the virus were reported yesterday. 

Monday had 7592 new community cases reported, an increase of more than 1000 on Sunday. 

The deaths reported today include 10 people who have died in the past three days and one person who died 12 days ago.