The vaccine remains our key defence against all variants of Covid-19, including Omicron. We continue to ask everyone who is eligible to get vaccinated, including people who are now eligible for a booster dose.

In the past 24 hours, 43,219 booster doses, 1378 first doses and 4081 second doses were administered.

Covid-19 vaccine update

• Vaccines administered to date (percentage of eligible people): 3,978,510 first doses (95%); 3,866,935 second doses (92%); 30,780 third primary doses; 423,710 booster doses
• Vaccines administered yesterday: 1378 first doses; 4081 second doses; 875 third primary doses and 43,219 booster doses.
• Māori (percentage of eligible people): 501,343 first doses (88%); 464,541 second doses (81%)
• Pacific Peoples (percentage of eligible people): 270,050 first doses (94%); 259,340 second doses (90%)

Vaccination rates by DHB with active cases (percentage of eligible people)

• Northland DHB: First doses (89%); second doses (85%)
• Auckland Metro DHBs: First doses (98%); second doses (96%)
• Waikato DHB: First doses (94%); second doses (91%)
• Bay of Plenty DHB: First doses (94%); second doses (90%)
• Lakes DHB: First doses (92%); second doses (88%)
• Taranaki DHB: First doses (93%); second doses (90%)
• Tairāwhiti DHB: First doses (91%); second doses (86%)
• Hawke’s Bay DHB: First doses (95%); second doses (91%)
• Canterbury DHB: First doses (98%); second doses (96%)

Hospitalisations

Cases in hospital: 37; North Shore: 4; Auckland: 14; Middlemore: 13, Tauranga: 5; Waikato: 1

Vaccination status of current hospitalisations (Northern Region wards only): Unvaccinated or not eligible (11 cases / 37.9%); partially immunised <7 days from second dose or have only received one dose (7 cases / 24.1%); fully vaccinated at least 7 days before being reported as a case (10 cases / 34.5%); 1 unknown (3.4%).

Average age of current hospitalisations: 53

Cases in ICU or HDU: 3 (2 in Middlemore and 1 in Tauranga).

Cases

• Seven day rolling average of community cases: 32
• Number of new community cases: 35
• Number of new cases identified at the border: 24
• Location of new community cases: Auckland (18), Waikato (1), Bay of Plenty (13), Lakes (3)
• Number of community cases (total): 11,022 (in current community outbreak)
• Cases epidemiologically linked (total): 8,315
• Number of active cases (total): 1,068 (cases identified in the past 21 days and not yet classified as recovered)
• Confirmed cases (total): 14,150

Contacts

• Number of active contacts being managed (total): 5257
• Percentage who have received an outbound call from contact tracers (to confirm testing and isolation requirements): 82%
• Percentage who have returned at least one result: 79%

Tests

• Number of tests total (last 24 hours): 16,236
• Tests rolling average (last 7 days): 11,271
• Auckland tests total (last 24 hours): 7758

Wastewater

No unexpected detections.

NZ Covid Tracer

• Poster scans in the 24 hours to midday yesterday: 2,589,761
• Manual diary entries in the 24 hours to midday: 45,820

My Vaccine Pass

• My vaccine pass downloads total: 4,675,518
• My vaccine pass downloads (last 24 hours): 16,823

Today’s cases

Today, we are reporting 35 new community cases in Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty and Lakes.

The Northland case reported yesterday has been reclassified as a historical case.

Regional updates

We are continuing to ask anyone in New Zealand with symptoms – no matter how mild – to get tested, even if you’re vaccinated. Please stay at home until you return a negative test result.

Testing and vaccination centre locations nationwide can be found on the Healthpoint website.

Auckland

There are 18 new cases being reported in Auckland today.

Health and welfare providers are now supporting 1052 people to isolate at home, including 268 cases.

Waikato

There is one new case in the Waikato today. The case is in Hamilton and has been linked to a previous case.

A pop-up testing site is operating in Waihi and testing is available at Whitianga general practices.

For details of all dedicated testing sites operating over the holiday period, please visit Healthpoint, the DHB webpage or DHB Facebook page.

In the Waikato, Public Health, primary care and manaaki providers are supporting 45 cases to isolate at home.

Lakes

There are three cases in the Lakes district. Two cases are in Rotorua, including a MIQ worker, and one case in Taupō. Two of the cases are contacts of previously notified cases and the source for one case is being investigated.

A Rotorua based MIQ worker tested positive on Wednesday and is currently in isolation. It is currently being investigated to determine if this infection originated from either the community or the facility. The worker is fully vaccinated and up-to-date with regular testing. The nature of their work means they do not normally have direct contact with returnees.  The result from whole genome sequencing is expected later today.

The Ministry encourages anyone who lives in, or has visited, the Lakes district, particularly in Rotorua, with symptoms – no matter how mild – to get tested, even if you’re vaccinated and to please stay at home until you return a negative test result.  The Ministry is also asking anyone in the region who is yet to be vaccinated to please do so now.

Testing and vaccination centre locations nationwide can be found on the Healthpoint website.

Bay of Plenty

There are 13 cases to report today in the Bay of Plenty. Twelve cases are in Tauranga and one case is in the Western Bay of Plenty District.

Nine of these cases are contacts of previously notified cases, and the source for the other four cases is being investigated.

The cases are a reminder for anyone living in or near the Bay of Plenty with symptoms – no matter how mild – to get tested, even if you’re vaccinated and to please stay at home until you return a negative test result.

Details on testing centres in the Bay of Plenty are available on the Healthpoint website.