MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 30th March, 2020) New Zealand's Ministry of Health has confirmed 76 new cases of COVID-19, raising the overall total of confirmed and probable cases since the start of the outbreak to 589, a leading health official confirmed during a press briefing on Monday.
"So today there are 76 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in New Zealand, one of our formerly probable cases has now been confirmed as having COVID-19," Director General of Health Ashley Bloomfield said.
The leading health official confirmed that the death toll still stands at one after the first coronavirus-related death in the country was announced on Sunday.
"There have been no additional COVID-19 deaths and 63 people have recovered from COVID-19," Bloomfield remarked.
Speaking in turn, New Zealand Commissioner of Police Mike Bush stated that three people have been arrested for violating new social distancing rules aimed at curbing the spread of the disease.
"We have, over the last few days, had cause to arrest three people for persistent breaches," Bush stated.
The New Zealand government has introduced several social distancing measures in recent days to slow the spread of the disease. Citizens are allowed to leave their homes to exercise or shop for essentials, but public gatherings have been banned.
