There are 1160 new community cases of Covid-19 today, the Ministry of Health says. 

Director-general of health Ashley Bloomfield earlier warned that cases would top 1000 today. 

Bloomfield also revealed that 10 per cent of patients seeking treatment at Middlemore Hospital's emergency department returned a positive rapid Covid test result yesterday. It's thought there were around 250 presentations at the ED, so 25 people would have tested positive. 

Despite rising case numbers, "it's not inevitable that we move to a phase 3 at this point in time", he said. Any move to phase 3 would be signaled "well ahead". 

Health workers were currently processing 22,000 PCR tests a day on average and that could surge to 60,000 - 70,000 tests a day. However, the current capacity was around 20,000 a day and depended heavily on whether tests could be pooled, Bloomfield said. 

In terms of accommodation for people who were isolating, Bloomfield said campervans were one part of the solution, and were helpful because they were mobile. In the main centres, there were also still rooms available in MIQ facilities to enable people to isolate safely if they needed them. 

Bloomfield said there was a higher likelihood of the virus being passed on to immuno-compromised people and the elderly and that all Kiwis had a responsibility to protect them. 

"Everyone has a role to play in stopping this virus being passed on. The most important thing we can do is mask, pass, scan and keep your distance." 

The booster shot strengthens the body's ability to fight this virus, he said. 

"That enhanced response gives much greater protection than two doses alone." 

774 community cases yesterday 

Yesterday there were 744 cases in the community, down from the record 981 seen on Monday. 

The majority of the new cases were in Auckland. 

Forty people were in hospital with the virus - none in ICU or HUD. 

Nineteen Covid-19 cases were detected at the border; three of these were historical. 

Latest location of interest 

A Queenstown restaurant is the latest high-risk location of interest to be added to the list today. 

Fogo Brazilian BBQ staff are being asked to self-isolate after the restaurant was exposed to a positive case over three days. 

This new location comes as Queenstown Chamber of Commerce chief executive Ruth Stokes predicted Queenstown would be closed for business by Friday because of the number of businesses confirmed as locations of interest and the number of people being forced to isolate. 

Testing centres under pressure 

As the variant sweeps through the country, Covid testing centres are coming under pressure. 

Yesterday, people in Auckland and Waikato faced waits of up to three hours for tests. 

Northern Region Health Coordination Centre (NRHCC) chief clinical officer Andrew Old said 70 per cent of people who went through Auckland's testing sites over a 24-hour period to Tuesday weren't symptomatic and didn't need a test. 

This sparked pleas for people to not get tested if they weren't symptomatic or a close contact of a case. 

1000 returnees out of MIQ 

This morning, 1000 returnees in MIQ were due to be released following the country's shift into phase 2 of the Omicron response plan. 

An MIQ spokesperson said under phase 2, managed isolation periods for international arrivals into New Zealand reduce from 10 days to seven days. 

"This change also applies to those already in MIQ who have completed seven or more days, and are confirmed by a Medical Officer of Health that they are at low risk of having or transmitting Covid-19." 

Police set to tow protesters' vehicles 

Meanwhile, at Parliament, Police Commissioner Andrew Coster said tow trucks will begin removing vehicles today. 

He said they have also appealed for extra assistance, including from the New Zealand Defence Force for their towing capabilities.