Wellington: New Zealand reported 126 new Delta variant cases of COVID-19 in the community on Tuesday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country's community outbreak to 3,634.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was forced to end her press conference in Northland early after being heckled by at least two people, one of whom was claimed to be a journalist, New Zealand Herald reported.
Among the new infections, 107 were recorded in the largest city of Auckland, 18 in nearby Waikato, and one in Northland, according to the Ministry of Health.
Forty-nine community cases are being treated in hospitals, including three in intensive care units or high dependency units, said a ministry statement.
There are 3,063 cases that have been clearly epidemiologically linked to another case or a sub-cluster, and a further 432 cases for which links are yet to be fully established, it said.
New Zealand also reported three new cases identified at the border among recent returnees. The cases have remained in managed quarantine in Auckland, Xinhua news agency reported.
The total number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in New Zealand stands at 6,362 currently, according to the health ministry.
Waikato will move to Alert Level 3 - Step 2 on Tuesday at 11.59 pm local time, meaning outdoor gatherings can increase to 25 and public facilities, such as libraries and zoos, and retail can open with mask-wearing, contact tracing and physical distancing, Ardern told the media on Monday.
"It's because of high vaccination rates that we can move forward with confidence, but public health measures remain extremely important as we ease restrictions," Ardern said.
Auckland will see its restrictions slightly eased next Tuesday at 11.59 p.m. local time.
There were 27,473 vaccines administered nationwide on Monday, taking New Zealand's vaccination rate to 88 per cent for first doses and 76 per cent for second doses, representing nearly 3.18 million fully vaccinated New Zealanders.
The country's goal is to reach 90 per cent of people who have had their first dose before the government starts further lowering alert levels and adopting the new "traffic light" alert system. (UNI)
