Wellington (New Zealand), August 1: New Zealand recorded 5,312 new community cases of COVID-19 and 28 more deaths, the Ministry of Health said on Monday.
New Zealand's international border opened to all visitors from 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, with visitors from non-visa waiver countries and international students able to apply for a visa to enter New Zealand, marking the final step in the government's reconnecting plan.
There are currently a total of 1,502 deaths confirmed as attributable to COVID-19, either as the underlying cause of death or as a contributing factor since the pandemic began in New Zealand, the health ministry said.
Among the new cases reported over the last 24 hours, 269 COVID-19 cases have recently traveled overseas, it added.
Currently, 759 COVID-19 patients are being treated in hospitals in the country, including 16 in intensive care units or high dependency units, showed official data.
New Zealand has reported 1,608,959 confirmed cases of COVID-19 since the pandemic hit the country in early 2020.
The country is currently under the orange settings of its COVID-19 Protection Framework, where there is no limit for gatherings.
Source: Xinhua
