Fifteen more deaths of people with Covid-19 have been reported today, with another 5745 new community cases also recorded.

Topic picture, symbolic photo: Corona positive. Positive result after antigen rapid test - 2 red stripes are displayed. Coronatest.Corona quick test, quick test, antigen quick test. Rapid Covid-19 Antigen Test, (Photo by Frank Hoermann / SVEN SIMON / SVEN SIMON / dpa Picture-Alliance via AFP)Photo: FRANK HOERMANN / SVEN SIMON

The seven day rolling average of new cases is 7608 today, up from 7510 last Sunday.

The Ministry of Health said there were 384 people with Covid-19 in hospital, down from 398 yesterday, with eight in ICU.

Two of the 15 people whose deaths were reported today were in their 50s, one in their 70s, nine in their 80s and three were aged over 90. Seven were women and eight were men.

Three people were from the Auckland region; two were from Waikato, one was from Taranaki, two were from the Wellington region, four were from Canterbury and three from Southern.

The number of people with Covid-19 who have died in New Zealand is now 973.

Today’s new community cases were reported in the Northland (152), Auckland (1925), Waikato (459), Bay of Plenty (157), Lakes (91), Hawke’s Bay (196), MidCentral (177), Whanganui (59), Taranaki (152), Tairāwhiti (57), Wairarapa (51), Capital and Coast (414), Hutt Valley (192), Nelson Marlborough (182), Canterbury (863), South Canterbury (83), Southern (480) and West Coast (49) DHBs.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern confirmed yesterday that she had tested positive for Covid-19, after her partner Clarke Gayford and their daughter Neve also tested positive earlier in the week. She will remain in isolation until at least Saturday and will not attend this week’s Budget announcement.

Another 74 cases were recorded at the border.

There were 7068 new community cases reported yesterday, as well as 18 further deaths.

There have now been 1,039,575 cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand.