Masks will be required when visiting essential services across New Zealand after the number of community cases of Covid-19 jumped from one to seven overnight.

Four new cases were identified this morning (Wednesday August 18) and another two, all of them in Auckland, were announced by director-general of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield in a press briefing at 1pm.

The case from yesterday (Tuesday August 17), now being referred to as ‘case A’, has the Delta variant of Covid-19, and prime minister Jacinda Ardern said genome sequencing has linked Case A to the New South Wales outbreak.

“Now the job we have is to work through how and when it got here,” she said.

The PM said all individuals over the age of 12 will be required to wear a mask when visiting essential services across the country from 11.59pm tonight. This includes staff.

“Simply put, if a place is open, masks should be worn there,” she said.

Ashley said all seven community cases are linked and they are in the process of being transferred to the Auckland quarantine facility. 

The two newest cases announced this afternoon are a 21-year-old female and a 19-year-old male.

The nationwide vaccination programme will resume tomorrow under level four conditions.

PHOTO: Supplied