New Zealand's outbreak of the Delta variant of Covid-19 remains confined to Auckland and Wellington on day four of lockdown.

Director of Public Health Dr Caroline McElnay, in the 1pm update today, says there are 21 news cases today, bringing the total number of cases to 51.

Of those cases 18 are in Auckland and 3 in Wellington. There has also been a positive detection of Covid-19 in wastewater sampling from the North Island coastal town of Walkworth, in the Auckland region.

It serves about 3500 people.

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There have been no positive samples from the other 41 wastewater sites in New Zealand, outside of Auckland.

So far, there are 266 close contacts around New Zealand, outside of those in Auckland. Some 5065 close contacts have been identified, while a further 5000 are expected by the end of today.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was asked in the press conference whether she would consider ring-fencing the North Island to protect the South Island.

"On the issue of North and South, we actually consider all options, depending on where we have concerns," she said.

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"So if there are places in the country that we're worried about we look at how we can practically implement borders around them, if we need to have different alert levels.

"So we keep all options on the table. That includes whether a boundary exists around one city, or around a whole island."

Invercargill MP Penny Simmonds is urging local people to remain calm in the wake of news that some Mitre 10 Southland staff are in isolation after attending a national awards dinner where a bartender tested positive for Covid-19.

"At this stage those who attended the Auckland event are simply getting tested and are isolating at home. It is a precaution, they are absolutely doing the right thing and I urge people to be calm and considerate in the way they react to this news.

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"Remember, any possible infection is completely out of the control of the people who are involved and they will no doubt be feeling concerned and anxious until their results are known. 

"I would like to offer them my support and commend Winton Mitre 10 manager Craig Flynn for being so upfront about the situation. He posted last night on his business' Facebook page and reassured customers and contacts that he and his family were doing the right thing in isolation.

"We all know how concerning Covid-19 is and how very transmissible the Delta strain can be. However, I would urge people to remain calm until the official test results are made clear.

"The best thing that Southlanders can do at this time is to continue to follow level four restrictions and remain at home whenever possible."