There are 13 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the community today (August 13), as well as one case in managed isolation. 

The community cases are all in Auckland and are all linked to the four people from the same family in Auckland previously reported, the Ministry of Health said in a statement.

“We are now treating these cases as a cluster – and what we know about clusters is that they grow,” the Ministry of Health said. “What is important is that we investigate these cases to their full extent, and that is exactly where people who are coming forward to be tested are helping us”.

One new case is a student at Mount Albert Grammar in Auckland. The student is a relative of the previously announced cases in the community.

Three people who have tested positive are employees of AmeriCold, the workplace of one of the previously reported cases. Another seven cases are family members of those employees.

Another person who has tested positive is an employee of Finance Now, the workplace of one of the previously reported cases. That person was admitted to North Shore Hospital and they have since been discharged.

There is another person who has tested positive for COVID-19 who is a family member of that Finance Now employee.

There is also one probable case of COVID-19 in the community, also linked to the new outbreak.

The 14 new cases brings New Zealand’s total number of active cases in New Zealand to 36, 17 of which are linked to the recent community outbreak.

Director-general of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield has directed medical officers of health that all cases of COVID-19 are to be managed in a quarantine facility from now.

“This is different to how positive cases were managed when we were last at level 4 and 3 and shows how serious we are about limiting any risk of ongoing transmission, even in self isolation,” the Ministry of Health said. “This will apply to any cases and also close family members who might be at risk as appropriate.”

The total number of confirmed cases is now 1,238.

PHOTO: Supplied