ELEVEN new cases of coronavirus after EIGHT reported the day before

This is what the exponential function looks like.

Last night there were reports of eight new coronavirus cases in New Zealand, I did not even get a chance to post this and now there are eleven more!

This is in a country that is scarcely testing (only those with symptoms!).

I have already had two anecdotes from my own social circle that indicate the dangers of community spread:

• A friend that went to a yoga class and was next to someone staying in a caravan that looked like she was just back from overseas with a cough our friend (an ex-nurse) had never encountered in her life

• The colleague of an acupuncturist friend who was treating someone for symptoms that turned out to be coronavirus (which they did not reveal). Is this person amongst those who have been confirmed as having the virus?

Eleven new cases of Covid-19 

in NZ - Health Ministry

Radio NZ,

20 March, 2020

The Ministry of Health has confirmed there are 11 new cases of the Covid-19 coronavirus in New Zealand, bringing the total to 39.

Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield has gvien the latest update.

Watch the latest media conference here:

He said there was no evidence yet that the virus is circulating in the community - and some of the 11 had been linked to overseas travel - but health officials are still investigating some cases.

All of the latest victims are at home in self-isolation.

Five of the 11 are in Auckland, two are in Hamilton, two in Wellington, and one each in Canterbury and Hawke's Bay.

Dr Bloomfield said one of the people announced yesterday that had the virus - a man in his 60s - is in Queenstown Lakes Hospital in a stable condition.

Dr Bloomfield also highlighted the importance of keeping up communication with people self-isolating, as it was very important for people's mental health that they keep in touch with friends and family.

He said work, school and public transport were considered "essential gatherings", and did not need to be closed

Dr Bloomfield denied testing was being "rationed". He said more thanr 1000 tests were done yesterday, but laboratories currently had capacity to rise to 1500 a day.

Foodstuffs South Island chief executive Steve Anderson also talked about New Zealand's food supply chain at the update and said all of New Zealand's supermarket chains were asking the population to shop normally, "so we can collectively continue to feed New Zealand".

He said supply was not an issue.

"Let's shop as normal and be nice to each other."

Details of current COVID-19 cases in New Zealand

Case	Location	Age	Gender	Travel details
39	Auckland	60s	Male	Details to come.
38	Wellington	30s	Male	Details to come.
37	Auckland	40s	Female	London to Doha to Auckland (on Sunday 15 March) - flight details to come.
36	Auckland	40s	Male	Los Angeles to Auckland - flight details to come.
35	Auckland	30s	Female	Los Angeles to Auckland - flight details to come.
34	Waikato	70s	Female	Paris to Dubai (Emirates EK74) to Auckland (Emirates EK450).
33	Waikato	60s	Male	Paris to Dubai (Emirates EK74) to Auckland (Emirates EK450).
32	Hawkes Bay	30s	Male	Munich to Qatar (Qatar Airways QR58 on Sunday 15 March) to Auckland (Qatar Airways QR920 Monday 16 March) to Napier (Air New Zealand NZ5021 on Tuesday 17 March).
31	Wellington	40s	Male	London to Singapore (Singapore Airlines SQ321 Thursday 12 March) to Melbourne to Wellington (Singapore Airlines SQ247 on Saturday 14 March).
30	Canterbury	50s	Male	Los Angeles to Auckland (American Airlines AA83 on Saturday 14 March) to Christchurch (Air New Zealand NZ535 on Sunday 15 March).
29	Auckland			Details to come.
28	Southern DHB			Details to come.
27	Southern DHB			Details to come.
26	Auckland		Male	London to Singapore (Qantas QF2 on Friday 13 March) to Melbourne (Qantas QF36 on Saturday 14 March) to Auckland (Qantas QF153 on Sunday 15 March).
25	Auckland	60s	Male	Los Angeles to Auckland (Air New Zealand NZ05 on Friday 13 March).
24	Rotorua		Male	Travelling from France (on Friday 13 March) - flight details to come.
23	Northland	20s	Male	Paris to Abu Dhabi (Etihad EY38 on Saturday 14 March) to Sydney (Etihad EY450) to Auckland (Virgin Australia VA0141 on Monday 16 March).
22	Taranaki	40s	Male	Cairo to Frankfurt (Lufthansa LH581 on Saturday 7 March) to Vancouver (Air New Zealand NZ23) to Auckland (Air New Zealand NZ8035) to New Plymouth (on Sunday 15 March).
21	Taranaki	40s	Female	Cairo to Dubai (Emirates EK926) to Auckland (Emirates EK448) to New Plymouth (Air New Zealand NZ8041 on Monday 9 March).
20	Waikato	70s	Male	Travelling from Europe (on Sunday 15 March) - flight details to come.
19	Waikato	20s	Female	Travelling from Sydney (on Sunday 8 March) - flight details to come.
18	Canterbury	40s	Female	Travelling from London (on Monday 16 March) - flight details to come.
17	Invercargill	40s	Male	Travelling from the Gold Coast (on Thursday 5 March) - flight details to come.
16	Auckland	60s	Male	Travelling from Canada (on Thursday 12 March) - flight details to come.
15	Auckland	60s	Male	San Francisco to Auckland (Air New Zealand NZ007 on Friday 13 March).
14	Auckland	40s	Female	Europe to Auckland (on Monday 9 March) - flight details to come.
13	Auckland	50s	Male	Extensive travel through Europe - flight details to come.
12	Dunedin	Teens	Male	Associated with travel of case 11.
11	Dunedin	40s	Male	Frankfurt to Singapore (Singapore Airlines SQ325 on Friday 6 March) to Auckland (Air New Zealand NZ283 on Saturday 7 March) to Dunedin (Air New Zealand  NZ675 on Sunday 8 March).
10	Wellington	70s	Male	Los Angeles to Auckland (American Airlines AA83) to Wellington (Air New Zealand 828 on Saturday 14 March).
9	Wellington	30s	Male	Los Angeles to Auckland (American Airlines AA83) to Wellington (Air New Zealand 828 on Saturday 14 March).
8	Wellington	60s	Male	France to Singapore to Brisbane to Wellington (Air New Zealand 828 on Saturday 14 March).
7	Dunedin	30s	Female	Denmark to Doha (Qatar Airways QR160) to Auckland (Qatar Airways QR920) to Christcurch (Jetstar JQ225 on Tuesday 10 March).
6	Auckland	60s	Male	Houston to Auckland (Air New Zealand 029 on Friday 6 March).
5	Auckland	40s	Female	Associated with travel - Doha to Auckland (Qatar Airways QR0920 on Sunday 23 February).
4	Auckland	40s	Male	Singapore to Auckland (Air New Zealand 283 on Tuesday 25 February).
3	Auckland	40s	Male	Associated with travel - Doha to Auckland (Qatar Airways QR0920 on Sunday 23 February).
2	Auckland	30s	Female	Singapore to Auckland (Air New Zealand 283 on Tuesday 25 February).
1	Auckland	60s		Iran to Bali to Auckland (Emirates EK450 on Wednesday 26 February).