The Ministry of Health (MoH) has announced there are 49 new cases of COVID-19 in the New Zealand community today (Thursday September 2), director-general of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield said in a media conference.

All of the new cases are in Auckland, and take the total number of cases in the current outbreak to 725.

“This latest number is encouraging and does show our alert level measures are working,” Ashley said.

The number of cases may continue to “bounce around a little” he said.

There are also four cases of the virus in recent returnees in managed isolation.

There are 42 people in hospital with COVID-19, six of whom are in ICU.

“The growing number of people in hospital is a stark reminder of the infectiousness of the virus,” Ashley said.

There were no unexpected wastewater samples to report today, and testing has so far taken place in 148 locations across the country.

PHOTO: Supplied