WELLINGTON, Oct. 27 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand reported 74 new Delta variant cases of COVID-19 in the community on Wednesday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country's community outbreak to 2,832.
A total of 68 of the new infections were recorded in the largest city of Auckland, six in nearby Waikato, Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield told a press conference.
Forty-one community cases are being treated in hospitals, including five in intensive care units or high dependency units, Bloomfield said.
There are 2,486 cases that have been clearly epidemiologically linked to another case or a sub-cluster, and a further 269 cases for which links are yet to be fully established, he said.
New Zealand also reported four new cases identified at the border among recent returnees. The cases have remained in quarantine in Auckland and Christchurch.
The total number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in New Zealand since the start of the pandemic stands at 5,539 currently, according to the health ministry.
Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins, who is also education minister, said Auckland primary school students could be returning to their classrooms from mid-November.
Students will be attending schools on different days to reduce the numbers of pupils in the classroom at one time, Hipkins said.
Meanwhile, restrictions in the Waikato region will be eased slightly from midnight Wednesday, he said. Enditem