There are 19 new cases of Covid-19 in the community, all in Auckland and just one has not been linked at this time.

There remains no unexpected wastewater detections of Covid-19.

Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson and Director of Public Health Dr Caroline McElnay are giving an update on the current Covid-19 outbreak.

Samples from wastewater in Tauranga and Mt Maunganui have been negative for Covid-19. Results from further composite samples are expected soon.

Over the past 14 days, there are nine cases where a link is yet to be established.

Director of Public Health Dr Caroline McElnay says there are another additional 35 cases expected down the track among household contacts.

'We are expecting fluctuations in cases,” she says.

Today's cases take the current number of cases in the current outbreak to 1268.

There are five active sub-clusters, with cases emerging in unknown contacts.

There are 15 epidemiologically linked subclusters. Of these, three are active, eight are contained and four are dormant. There are 13 epidemiologically unlinked subclusters. Of these, two are active, four are contained and seven are dormant.

Currently, there are 23 people in hospital with Covid-19. Three of these are in North Shor, eight in Auckland and 12 at Middlemore. Four are in ICU.

Last night it emerged there were a further two exposure events at Middlemore Hospital on Wednesday night.

The second patient who had self-discharged is being managed by the Auckland Regional Public Health Service and has been isolating at home. Today they are being moved into a quarantine facility.

Of the 34 patients who were considered contacts following the two exposure events, a further six have now been discharged. They are being followed up by public health, along with the other 32 outpatients who were considered contacts.

While there have been a number of exposure events at Middlemore Hospital, this is not unexpected as there are sub-clusters in South Auckland, for which Middlemore is the local hospital.

In addition, Middlemore is the receiving hospital for number of quarantine facilities in the area and as such regularly receives Covid-suspect and Covid-positive patients from these facilities. Where patients do present from these facilities Middlemore is able to plan for their arrival and manage their treatment accordingly.

Robertson says he does not believe that processes are not working at hospitals.

'When you hear about contacts that is out of an abundance of caution” he says.

'It is not a problem at the hospitals. The hospitals are the solution here. They are dealing with the cases well and they have protocols in place to deal with them but they will be a centre of where people who are feeling unwell will go.”