New Zealand has recorded 2365 community cases and the first COVID-related deaths in more than a month.
Two people have died in Auckland hospitals with the virus, bringing New Zealand's COVID-19 death toll to 55.
One of the deceased was an Auckland City Hospital patient in their 70s; the other was a patient at Middlemore Hospital in South Auckland.
Monday's case count is a small drop from Sunday's record tally of 2522.
However, the number of Kiwis in hospital with COVID-19 continues to rise, as it has done every day for the past fortnight.
As of Monday, there are 116 people in hospital with the virus, including one in intensive care.
The outbreak remains disproportionately centred on Auckland, where 1692 cases were found, but cases are being found in all corners of the country.
More than 100 cases were reported in Wellington, Christchurch, and the Waikato on Monday.
Wellington also remains the centre of a major protest action attacking Jacinda Ardern's government for its COVID-19 response.
More than 1000 protesters have continued their occupation of parliament's lawns and surrounding streets as part of the Convoy 2022 NZ movement.
Some protesters threw human excrement on police officers on Monday morning in retaliation for police placing concrete barricades on CBD streets.
"No one should have to face having human waste thrown at them when they are just trying to keep people safe," Ms Ardern said.
Police Commissioner Andy Coster said offenders would be "held to account".
"Deliberately infecting someone with disease is a serious offence punishable by 14 years imprisonment. Likewise attempting to do so attracts a significant penalty," he said.
"We invite anyone with information about who is responsible to come forward."
Seven officers were injured in the pre-dawn police operation.
Ms Ardern and Mr Coster have repeatedly called on the group to leave the public space, and to shift their cars which have been blocking roads for the past fortnight.
The protest's central demand is the removal of all vaccine mandates.
On Monday afternoon, Ms Ardern said many mandates would be lifted after the Omicron wave was "well past its peak" and the health system was not under strain.
"Based on modelling of overseas experiences, in three to six weeks we'll likely see that peak. What we will be looking for is a clear indication that we are on the other side of it," she said.
Ms Ardern said she was not giving a time frame because of the lengthy protest.
"Everyone is over COVID. No one wants to live with rules or restrictions," she said.
"We all want to go back to the way life was. And we will, I suspect sooner than you think.
"When that happens, it will be because easing restrictions won't compromise the lives of thousands of people - not because you demanded it.
"Now is not the time to dismantle our hard work and preparation, to remove our armour just as the battle begins."
