Canterbury has become the third DHB to fully vaccinate more than 90% of eligible Māori.

More than four million first doses of a COVID-19 vaccine have now been administered to our 12+ population across Aotearoa – another very significant milestone.

There were 13,995 paediatric doses administered yesterday, bringing the total to 124,155. This is 26% of the 5 to 11 age group. A further 25,596 are booked in for a first dose.

The total number of paediatric first doses given to Māori children aged 5-11 (15,639) and Pacific children of the same age (8,381).

There were 50,946 boosters administered yesterday, bringing the total to 1,163,046. This is 63% of all those that have become due.

Omicron update

Public health teams are continuing to manage Omicron cases in the community through rapidly isolating cases and contacts, contact tracing, and testing to slow the spread.

To date, there are 90 community cases of COVID-19 that are either confirmed as Omicron variant or have been linked to previously reported Omicron case, an increase of 34.

There are active cases being treated as Omicron in Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Taranaki, Palmerston North, and Nelson Tasman.

Many of these additional cases have previously been reported as COVID-19 cases and linked retrospectively either through whole genome sequencing or epidemiologically.

Therefore, many are not included in today’s reported new COVID-19 community cases.

The number of cases and contacts are expected to grow given the highly transmissible nature of Omicron and as we learn more from case interviews.

As part of our collective preparations for Omicron, please check your details are up to date with your regular healthcare provider and in the COVID-19 Tracer app.

We also continue to urge anyone with symptoms, or anyone who has been to a location of interest at the times notified, to take health advice, isolate immediately and get tested promptly.

Being prepared also means remembering the basics - wash your hands, stay at home if you’re unwell, wear a mask when you can’t physically distance and get vaccinated, including a booster. 

Soundsplash music festival

Yesterday afternoon five people in Auckland tested positive for COVID-19 after having attended Soundsplash music festival in Hamilton over the weekend.

This morning, a location of interest was published for the event.

Anyone who attended the festival is asked to self-monitor for symptoms for ten days following exposure at the event, which is until Wednesday, February 2.

If any cold or flu symptoms develop which could be COVID-19, please get a test and isolate at home until a negative result is returned.  

So far, 68 people who attended the festival have been identified as close contacts, and this number is expected to increase. Contact tracing staff are contacting these individuals, who are required to follow all public health advice regarding isolation and testing.

Whole Genome Sequencing has confirmed that one of the cases who attended the festival has the Omicron variant. Whole genome sequencing is underway for the remaining four cases.

Interviews with the five cases will assist in determining whether they contracted COVID-19 before or while attending the festival.

Wellington case

Whole Genome Sequencing for the Wellington case we reported yesterday confirms this as the Delta variant. Investigations are continuing to establish any links to previous cases.

COVID-19 vaccine update

• Vaccines administered to date (percentage of eligible people): 4,035,915 first doses (96%); 3,953,820 second doses (94%); 1,163,046 booster doses *
• Vaccines administered yesterday: 1,442 first doses; 2,317 second doses; 13,995 paediatric doses; 50,946 booster doses.
• Māori (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 510,804 first doses (89%); 482,856 second doses (85%).
• Pacific Peoples (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 276,351 first doses (96%); 267,949 second doses (93%).
• Paediatric vaccines administered to date (percentage of 5-11-year-olds): 124,155 first doses (26%)
• Māori (percentage of eligible people aged 5-11): 15,639 first doses (14%)
• Pacific Peoples (percentage of eligible people aged 5-11): 8,381 first doses (17%)

From today we have made a change to how we report vaccination numbers administered to date in this statement.

Rather than reporting doses administered, we now report people vaccinated. For example, under the previous reporting, today’s first dose number would’ve been 4,000,409. Today the number is 4,035,915.

Vaccination rates for all DHBs (percentage of eligible people aged 12 +)

• Northland DHB: First doses (90%); second doses (86%)
• Auckland Metro DHBs: First doses (97%); second doses (95%)
• Waikato DHB: First doses (95%); second doses (92%)
• Bay of Plenty DHB: First doses (95%); second doses (92%)
• Lakes DHB: First doses (93%); second doses (90%)
• MidCentral DHB: First doses (96%); second doses (94%)
• Tairawhiti DHB: First doses (92%); second doses (89%)
• Whanganui DHB: First doses (92%); second doses (89%)
• Hawke’s Bay: First doses (96%); second doses (93%)
• MidCentral DHB: First doses (96%); second doses (94%)
• Taranaki DHB: First doses (94%); second doses (92%)
• Wairarapa DHB: First doses (96%); second doses (94%)
• Capital and Coast DHB: First doses (98%); second doses (97%)
• Hutt Valley DHB: First doses (96%); second doses (95%)
• Nelson Marlborough DHB: First doses (96%); second doses (94%)
• West Coast DHB: First doses (93%); second doses (90%)
• Canterbury DHB: First doses (99%); second doses (97%)
• South Canterbury DHB: First doses (95%); second doses (93%)
• Southern DHB: First doses (97%); second doses (96%)

Hospitalisations

• Cases in hospital: 5; North Shore: 2; Auckland: 1; Middlemore: 1, Rotorua: 1,
• Average age of current hospitalisations: 68
• Cases in ICU or HDU: 1 (Rotorua)

Cases

• Seven day rolling average of community cases: 29
• Seven day rolling average of border cases: 42
• Number of new community cases: 45
• Number of new cases identified at the border: 51
• *Location of new community cases: Auckland (22), Waikato (2), Bay of Plenty (3), Lakes (7), Taranaki (1), Hawke’s Bay (8), Nelson Marlborough (2)
• Number of community cases (total): 11,601 (in current community outbreaks)
• Cases epidemiologically linked (total): 8,858
• Number of active cases (total): 507 (cases identified in the past 21 days and not yet classified as recovered)
• Confirmed cases (total): 15,466

Contacts

• Number of active contacts being managed (total): 5,962
• Percentage who has received an outbound call from contact tracers (to confirm testing and isolation requirements): 77%
• Percentage who has returned at least one result: 77%

Tests

• Number of tests total (last 24 hours): 22,894
• Tests rolling average (last 7 days): 16,359
• Auckland tests total (last 24 hours): 11,761

Wastewater

• ESR has detected a positive sample in Porirua on 25 January.  If you’re feeling unwell, please arrange a test. Details of testing locations in the region can be foundon Healthpoint

NZ COVID Tracer

• Poster scans in the 24 hours to midday yesterday: 2,553,133
• Manual diary entries in the 24 hours to midday: 50,140

My Vaccine Pass

• My vaccine pass downloads total: 4,942,616
• My vaccine pass downloads (last 24 hours): 16,912