For a fourth consecutive day, there are no additional confirmed or probable cases of COVID-19 to report in New Zealand.

To date, New Zealand has five confirmed cases based on positive test results and two probable cases. One patient, confirmed with COVID-19, was discharged home from Auckland Hospital yesterday – under the care of their GP.

As we announced yesterday, the woman being cared for as a probable case at North Shore Hospital who was on a cruise of the Grand Princess (11 – 21 February) has also been discharged home and is also under the care of her GP.

In both cases, public health staff remain in daily contact with both patients and their families.

Of the other confirmed cases, none requires hospital level care.

All close contacts of the confirmed cases have now been contacted by public health staff.

"Fundamental to our response is not putting yourself or others at risk if you are unwell - not going to work or being out in public if you are sick. All of us have a role to play in stopping further spread. I need to emphasise how critical this is as New Zealand responds to COVID-19," says the Ministry's Director-General of Health, Dr Ashley Bloomfield.

“This is particularly important for the concerts and large gatherings we have coming up, including this weekend. Please stay home if you’re unwell.”

Now is the time to be even more vigilant. Everyone can help by ensuring good health etiquette – washing hands for twenty seconds, sneezing into your arm and not touching your face.”

The first of the North Shore Hospital staff stood down and asked to self-isolate, as a result of an earlier hospitalisation of one of the probable cases, have returned to work today.

Other staff will progressively return. If they remain well, all staff will be back at work by Monday 16 March.

The DHB informs us there has been no impact on clinical care from these stand downs, and North Shore Hospital continues to provide all services as usual.

There are two cruise ship movements which involve New Zealanders:

Three New Zealanders are currently on the Grand Princess and have been offered consular assistance (initial reports put the number at four). We are not aware of any health concerns around these people.

One New Zealander is reported on the quarantined Asara on a Nile River cruise. We are not aware of any health concerns around this individual.

Testing

5 confirmed cases (unchanged)

2 probable cases (unchanged)

331 negatives

There remains a number of cases under investigation

Healthline & self-isolation

Healthline continues to take a large number of calls. There were 2930 calls received or made yesterday – more than double the same time last year.

Healthline has now registered a total of 9039 people or households for self-isolation since the process began.

There are currently 2,145 registrations (people or households) for self-isolation. An additional 6194 have completed isolation.

"I want to thank everyone who has self-isolated - whether that be confirmed cases, close contacts or those who've returned from overseas. Self-isolation really is one of the most important tools in the fight against COVID-19," says Dr Bloomfield.