New Zealand has hit triple-digit COVID-19 cases for the first time, reporting 102 new community cases.
Director General of Health Ashley Bloomfield on Thursday said hospitalisations had reached 46, the worst count of Delta outbreak.
The outbreak remains centred on Auckland, with 94 new cases, with eight further cases in the neighbouring Waikato region.
On Wednesday, COVID-19 Minister Chris Hipkins drastically upped case estimates for the Delta outbreak.
"We're likely to see case numbers continue to increase for a period and we do need to be prepared for that," Mr Hipkins told Radio NZ.
"The modellers have different views on where we are likely to top out. It could be as low as 200 or it could be higher than that ... up into the high hundreds."
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern refused to be drawn on modelling, saying her focus was preventing larger numbers.
"Cases will continue to increase. What we want though is for our ability to maintain a manageable situation," she said.
While Auckland and much of the Waikato is in lockdown, the government is urging vaccination as the key defence of Kiwis.
