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Covid Response Minister Chris Hipkins and Director General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield provided an update on Covid-19 cases in the community

• There are 21 new cases in the community, taking the total number of cases to 72, 21 are in Auckland and 1 in Wellington. The 1 case in Wellington was reported yesterday but only added to the national tally today. 
• All cases are gnomically linked to the Auckland cluster 
• There are 3 news cases in MIQ 
• Contacts have increased significantly. As of 9am, more than 8000 people have been formally identified, and this would increase. Most are considered close contacts. 4124 have been followed up and are isolating, with a third already returning a test. 
• A new feature has been added to the Ministry of Health’s website to make locations of interest easier to search 
• New locations of interest will be published every two hours. 
• There are more than 280 locations of interest 
• Several new cases are linked to a church service at a service in Mangere last Sunday at the Samoan Assembly of God church in Māngere. People at that service are asked to self-isolate 
• Chris Hipkins says that if you are a contact and self-isolating, a reminder not to leave your house even for your vaccination. He asks people to rebook their vaccine and also get other people to do their shopping with a contactless delivery 
• Hipkins reminded people that masks were mandatory at level 4 at essential services 
• He also announced that record keeping would become mandatory at all alert levels for many places. Places where people are already required to sign in, like gyms and some workplaces, won't need to change what they do. 
• Childcare arrangements for essential workers who needed them would be put back in place under this level 4 lockdown 
• The Government has also agreed to put in an emergency payment team for relief teachers and support staff who aren't eligible for the wage subsidy 
• Kmart St Lukes, Countdown Grey Lynn, Farro Grey Lynn, Starbucks Westfield Albany and New World Papatoetoe are among a host of new locations of interest

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