Covid cases and hospitalisations continue to rise with 9,241 new community cases and 761 hospitalisations today, including 15 people in intensive care.
There have been 29 further Covid-related deaths, all during the past month.
"The increase in cases and hospitalisations emphasises the importance of everybody doing the basics well to help prevent infection and serious illness," the Ministry of Health said in its Saturday update.
"In particular, people should stay home if they are unwell, take a rapid antigen test (RAT) and upload the result on My Covid Record, and isolate if positive or while still symptomatic."
The seven-day rolling average of community cases is 9,984 today. Last Saturday, it was 8,687. There are currently 69,842 active cases of the virus.
The ministry says the seven-day rolling average of weekly Covid hospitalisations is 727 today. This time last week it was 520.
Outside of Tāmaki Makaurau, the largest number of hospitalisations are currently in Canterbury/West Coast (118), Capital and Coast/Hutt (57) and Waikato (56) DHB regions. The average age of those in hospital is 64.
19 women and 10 men are among the deaths reported today. Two of these people were in their 60s, three were in their 70s, 16 were in their 80s and eight were aged over 90.
Three were from the Auckland region, four from Waikato, two from Bay of Plenty, three from Lakes, two from Hawke’s Bay, two from MidCentral, two from Wellington region, three from Nelson Marlborough, four from Canterbury/West Coast, and four were from Southern DHB region.
Aotearoa has recorded 1,805 Covid-related deaths.