There are no new cases of COVID-19 in New Zealand's managed isolation and quarantine facilities, Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield announced on Thursday.
It has been 97 days since New Zealand's last case of COVID-19 was acquired locally from an unknown source, indicating there is no evidence of community transmission in the country.
As of Thursday there has been one recovery, bringing the active case total down to 23.
New Zealand's confirmed case total remains at 1219, which is the number reported to the World Health Organization (WHO).
On Wednesday 5020 tests were completed, bringing the test total to date to 482,929. Of the testing figures from Wednesday, 290 swabs were taken in managed isolation, meaning the vast majority were performed out in the community.
In his opening statements, Health Minister Chris Hipkins said it "isn't scaremongering" to say New Zealand's enviable position amid the ongoing global pandemic "could all change", saying that is "a statement of fact". His comments follow Dr Bloomfield's sobering warning on Wednesday that health officials are operating on a "not if, but when" basis regarding the return of community transmission.
"We only need to look at Australia to see that. We cannot afford to be complacent," Hipkins said.
"While... we politicians head out onto the campaign trail, the virus won't be taking six weeks off. As a Government we will cotninue to lead the COVID-19 response for as long as we are in office, using all of the tools at our disposal to ensure Kiwis remain vigilant and prepared."
Dr Bloomfield also acknowledged the high testing rates at the pop-up testing clinic in Queenstown, with 1050 locals undergoing testing on Tuesday alone. Of the 1076 swabs, seven have yet to be processed due to incorrect labelling - however, the balance have all returned negative results.
The outcome provides "reassurance" for Queenstown locals, following the news that a man who tested positive for the virus in South Korea spent time in the resort town prior to his flight from Christchurch.
Four pop-up clinics have been established across Auckland in Henderson, Wiri, Grafton and Coatesville, Dr Bloomfield said, with an additional pop-up to be opened in South Auckland by the weekend.
An additional testing centre will also be established in Christchurch over the weekend. In Taranaki, an additional clinic will be open in New Plymouth on Friday from 1pm to 3pm in the New World carpark.
"Please do make use of these centres. Testing helps us rule out community transmission, if there is a case that has snuck through we want to find it as soon as possible," Dr Bloomfield said.
As of Thursday, 637,000 Kiwis have registered for the NZ COVID Tracer contact tracing app, with 84,279 QR code posters available nationwide. Posters have been scanned more than 1.9 million times to date, and there have been more than 65,000 manual entries since the feature was released.
"I'm feeling much more comfortable with the levels of testing," Health Minister Chris Hipkins said, noting there needs to be more work with testing rates at the border. Dips in numbers over the weekend appear to be inevitable, he said.
Masks
Masks will become a public health measure as part of the COVID-19 response if the virus re-emerges in the community, Hipkins confirmed.
"Masks can play a role in reducing the spread of COVID-19 when community transmission is evident," he said.
The ministry is following the WHO's advice, which suggests people should make preparations before the need for masks is announced by health officials. Hipkins advises New Zealand families to make collective preparations, in the event of a future outbreak of COVID-19 within the community.
Dr Bloomfield noted that New Zealanders should be adding non-medical grade masks or reusable masks to add to their household's emergency supply kit. A wide range of masks are available online.
The health officials reiterated that it's currently "not necessary" for Kiwis to wear masks under alert level 1, as there is no evidence of community transmission in the country. However, in the event of a future outbreak, masks will be encouraged under alert level 2 alongside basic public health measures, including physical distancing and practicing hand hygiene.
Guidance on how to correctly wear a mask is available on the Ministry of Health website, and Dr Bloomfield said he has volunteered to perform a tutorial in the near future.
