New Zealand has recorded its highest increase in Covid-19 cases since April 2020, but authorities say the numbers are not rising exponentially and the majority of the cases are still in centred in Auckland where the recent outbreak started, reports Reuters.

The South Pacific nation's virus-free run since February ended last week after an outbreak of the highly contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus erupted in Auckland, New Zealand's largest city, and quickly spread to the capital Wellington.

Authorities have reported 41 new Covid-19 cases, taking the total number of infections in the country to 148, the director general of health, Ashley Bloomfield, said at a news conference. This is the most number of new cases since April 2020, according to a graphic on the Ministry of Health website.

Of the new cases, 38 are in Auckland and three are in Wellington.