The number of community cases of COVID-19 in New Zealand is gradually declining as a dwindling number of cases is reported each day and previously reported cases are considered recovered. 

Today (Wednesday, September 2) the ministry of health reported only five new confirmed cases; three are community transmission cases from close contacts linked to the Mount Roskill Evangelical Church and already in isolation, and two are new imported cases from arrivals at the border.

There are 104 people linked to the South Auckland community cluster who have been transferred to the Auckland quarantine facility, which includes 75 people who have tested positive for COVID-19 and their household contacts.

Both imported cases were detected in quarantine facilities in Rotorua via routine testing. The first case is a woman in her 30s who arrived from Dubai on August 28. The second case is a child who arrived from Uzbekistan via Dubai on August 28. Both cases have been transferred to the Auckland quarantine facility together with people in their bubbles.

When today’s five new cases are offset by eight community cases now considered recovered, New Zealand’s total number of active cases is reduced to 129. Of these, 35 are imported cases in quarantine facilities, and 94 are community cases.

The total number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in NZ reported to the World Health Organization is 1,406.

The number of COVID-19 patients in hospital is also declining with only seven people today, two of whom are in ICU.

PHOTO: Supplied