The Omicron spike has arrived in New Zealand, which until now has been spared mass infections, recording the lowest case numbers and deaths in the developed world.
Monday's case count of 981 is up from 810 the day before, and 188 one week ago, showing the capacity of the highly contagious virus to spread quickly.
The cases are yet to produce a hospitalisation spike, with 39 cases in hospital and none in intensive care.
Public health experts believe New Zealand's strong COVID-19 vaccination rate is a key reason why.
More than 95 per cent of the eligible population is double-dosed with Pfizer vaccine, with a growing booster rollout.
Vaccinators administered another 23,000 doses on Sunday, with 56 per cent of the eligible population now with a third shot in their arms.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the figures were not surprising, and her government was expecting a jump even sooner.
"While cases may seem high now we are still early in our Omicron outbreak and cases we do expect to grow further," she said.
"It's trajectory in New Zealand has been slowed by strong booster numbers and our (restrictions), we are now seeing the increases that ultimately we did expect.
"This is what we planned for."
Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield said New Zealand was experiencing a "two-speed" Omicron outbreak, with 768 cases in Auckland and 213 in the rest of the country.
"I expect that the outbreak will continue to accelerate at that same pace in Auckland, but not so much in the rest of the country," he said.
The case count is the highest recorded in New Zealand, and the fifth straight day a new record has been set.
On Monday, cabinet approved a shift to a new phase of the government's Omicron plan, aimed at avoiding an Australia-style implosion with staff shortages and supply chain disruption.
Self-isolation times for people with COVID-19 cases shifts from 14 days to 10 days, with close contacts only required to self-isolate for a week.
Rapid antigen tests (RATs) will also be provided to "critical" workforces, with 5620 businesses signing up to provide
The government is controlling access to the tests, with 7.2 million RATs in New Zealand, a country of 5.1 million people.
Ms Ardern has encouraged Kiwis to develop a self-isolation plan, including a non-household contact to bring shopping, as Omicron cases mount.
28°C