There are 8,609 community cases of COVID-19, 386 hospitalisations and 20 people have died.

Today’s seven-day rolling average of community case numbers is 7,684 – last Thursday it was 7,705 .

The deaths being reported today include 18 people who have died over the past five days and an additional two people who have died since 24 April.

Delays to reporting can be associated with people dying with COVID-19, rather than from COVID-19, and COVID being discovered only after they have died.

These deaths take the total number of publicly reported deaths with COVID-19 to 821 and the 7-day rolling average of reported deaths is 14.

Of the people whose deaths were reported today; three people were from Auckland; one from Waikato; five from Bay of Plenty; two from Hawke’s Bay; one from the Greater Wellington region; one from Nelson-Malborough, five from Canterbury and two from Southern.

One person was under-10; one in their 50s, five in their 60s; two in their 70s; seven in their 80s and four were aged over 90.

Of these people, 12 were female and eight were male.

In a statement, the Ministry of Heatlh said “this is a very sad time for whānau and friends and our thoughts and condolences are with them at this time.”

“Out of respect, we will be making no further comment.”