There have been 12 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in the southern region over the past 24 hours – one of them in Invercargill.

Seven cases are in the Queenstown-Lakes district and four in Dunedin.

That brings the total number cases identified in the Southland, Invercargill and Gore districts to 12 – nine in Invercargill, one in Gore and two in the Southland district.

Nationally there are 580 probable and confirmed cases – 75 of those identified in the past 24 hours.

Nineteen cases have been linked to the World Hereford Conference in Queenstown.