Coronavirus: New Zealand has 70 confirmed new cases of COVID-19 in the community

New Zealand has another 70 new cases of COVID-19 in the community, reports the Ministry of Health.

That brings the total number of active cases in the community to 347.

333 of the total cases are in Auckland, 14 are in Wellington.

There are 19 people in hospital, including one patient in intensive care.

There are 278 cases that have been clearly epidemiologically-linked to another case or sub-cluster, and a further 69 for which links are yet to be fully established.

There are currently more than 500 locations of interest.

Today's numbers will form a crucial part of the Government's decision about alert levels, which Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield will announce from the Beehive at 3pm.

On Monday Ardern announced that Auckland's lockdown would be extended for another week and will not be reviewed until Monday 30 August.

While the rest of New Zealand will remain at alert level 4 until 11.59pm today.

The Government will be closely watching for any spread outside of Auckland ahead of its decision today about whether to keep all of New Zealand at level 4.

The Government is still investigating how the original transmission occurred from the New South Wales returnee who was staying in MIQ at the Crowne Plaza.