New Zealand said on Saturday there had been two new deaths due to the coronavirus - its biggest daily total to date despite the low number and bringing the total to four in a country that's halfway through a four-week nationwide lockdown.
Both deaths were older people with underlying health conditions and were linked to existing clusters, Director of Public Health Caroline McElnay said in a televised briefing.
The number of new confirmed cases in the nation of about 5 million rose by 20 for a total of 1,035.
New Zealand's wide-ranging lockdown measures that have seen offices and schools shut and all non-essential services closed as well as strong political leadership from Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern have been hailed for their relative success in containing the spread of the virus.
Neighboring Australia has also seen the pace of infections slow dramatically in the past week. According to Australia's health ministry, the number of new confirmed cases rose on Saturday by 86 to 6,238, while there were 56 deaths.