New Zealand has reported 23 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, denting optimism that the country is on course to eradicate the virus once more.
The new infections, all in the epicentre of Auckland, were up from the 11 cases detected a day earlier.
"This does serve as a strong reminder of the importance of following the COVID-19 alert level rules wherever you are, and to get tested if you have any symptoms or have been at a location of interest at the specified times," New Zealand's Ministry for Health said in a statement on Saturday.
"As we have said previously, some volatility is likely at this stage as we expect some changes in the numbers as day five and day 12 tests for contacts of cases are due, and we do further investigations of any new unlinked cases."
The Ministry for Health said 15,241 tests were taken in the last 24 hours and more than 4.2 million vaccines have been administered to date.
Daily case numbers in New Zealand continue to fall: 11 cases were reported on Friday, down from a peak of 83 on August 29.
Experts and Jacinda Ardern's government attribute the fall to the strict lockdown ordered on August 17 after the identification of just one case.
On Saturday, Auckland hits day 25 of lockdown which will be reassessed next Monday. The goal is to eliminate COVID-19 in the community, bringing daily case numbers to zero.
"I hate the idea of even one preventable death," Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said.
Questions remain as to whether the rise in cases could have been avoided.
In July and August, New Zealand green-lit a string of flights to bring home stranded Kiwis from NSW during its Delta outbreak.
On the August 7 flight was a man who tested positive to COVID-19 the next day.
Genomic sequencing has shown him to be the index case for New Zealand's outbreak - which has infected 879 people and killed one person to date. It's not clear the man would have tested positive in a pre-departure test, however the hurdle's removal means authorities will never know.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern addresses a press conference in Wellington, New Zealand, Saturday, Sept. 4, 2021. Source: Mark Mitchell/NZME
Last Sunday, a patient was admitted to the hospital and shared a room with other patients before testing positive to COVID-19.
The hospital tallied up 149 contacts who needed to isolate as a result, including patients who still required care, and staff in an already stretched health system. All contacts returned a day three negative test. Those close contacts will also produce a day five and day 12 test.
On Thursday, a second exposure event occurred at the same hospital.
Dr Watson said a person presented at the emergency department for a separate issue, only to test positive for COVID-19 after receiving treatment.
That person answered all of the screening questions in the negative, didn't have any COVID-positive contacts and hadn't been to a location of interest - and was only tested "out of an abundance of caution".
The exposure has produced another 36 contacts - patients and staff - who must now isolate and get tested. "It's a real challenge," he said.
"We are going to continue to have many patients and visitors and staff every day come into our hospital. "We have to be incredibly vigilant in our use of PPE and screening ... while we're in level four, we need people to stay home and get swabbed."
