The number of new Covid-19 cases has dropped from yesterday’s high, with 744 recorded in the community.
Once again, the majority were detected in Auckland, 535, with the city remaining the epicentre of the omicron outbreak. Other new cases were registered in Northland (43), Waikato (69), Bay of Plenty (8), Lakes (10), Hawke’s Bay (1), MidCentral (6), Taranaki (2), Tairāwhiti (7), Wairarapa (1), Capital and Coast (5), Hutt Valley (1), Nelson Marlborough (9), Canterbury (9), Southern (30).
Tonight at 11.59pm New Zealand shifts to phase two of its omicron response. That will mean home isolation periods drop and see wider use of rapid antigen tests.
There are currently 40 people with Covid-19 in hospital – the sixth consecutive rise in the daily hospitalisation rate. Nobody is currently being treated in intensive care.
Yesterday, 47,573 booster doses were administered nationwide – around twice as many as on Sunday – and brings the total so far to almost two million doses. Additionally, Whanganui DHB yesterday reached the milestone of its eligible population being 90% fully vaccinated.
The number of active community cases of Covid-19 has increased to 5,636.
Once again, the Ministry of Health has reminded people to only get tested for Covid-19 if they are symptomatic, have been at a location of interest, or have been asked by a health official to get tested. “We are anticipating continued high demand at our Covid-19 testing sites, so our request is to, please, be patient,” said a spokesperson. “Our frontline staff across the health sector are doing the best they can to help in a timely way.”
Earlier today, the Northern Region Health Coordination Centre said testing would be based on “priority needs” in Auckland, saying demand for testing had reached the height of the delta outbreak.
There is good testing capacity throughout the country, said the ministry, but unnecessary testing could delay results for those who urgently need them.
For more pandemic-related charts and analysis, visit The Spinoff Covid Tracker here