Today we are reporting 20,087 community cases, 960 hospitalisations and 11 deaths.

Getting boosted continues to be one of the most important ways people can protect themselves from Omicron and severe illness.

Please if you are due a vaccination, whether it be a second shot or booster, make an appointment today.

There is a much lower risk of being hospitalised or of severe illness if you are up to date with your vaccinations.

COVID-19 related deaths

Today we are sadly reporting an additional 11 COVID-19 related deaths.

These deaths take the total number of publicly reported COVID-19 related deaths to 210 and the 7-day rolling average of reported deaths to 9.

Of these 11 people who have died, two are from Northland, five are from the Auckland region, one is from Bay of Plenty and three from the Wellington region.

One of these people was in their 30s, one in their 60s, one in their 70s, four people were in their 80s and four people in their 90s.

Six were men and five were women.

This is a very sad time for whānau and friends and our thoughts and condolences are with them at this time.

Out of respect, we will be making no further comment. 

Vaccinations administered in New Zealand 

• Vaccines administered to date: 4,024,862 first doses; 3,972,660 second doses; 34,199 third primary doses; 2,560,822 booster doses: 257,404 paediatric first doses and 48,185 paediatric second doses  
• Vaccines administered yesterday: 194 first doses; 388 second doses; 29 third primary doses; 3,972 booster doses; 208 paediatric first doses and 4,028 paediatric second doses  

People vaccinated

• All Ethnicities (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 4,054,234 first dose (96.3%); 4,001,315 second dose (95.1%), 2,559,899 boosted (72.8% of those eligible)  
• Māori (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 520,082 first dose (91.1%); 502,210 second dose (87.9%), 226,360 boosted (58.5% of those eligible)  
• Pacific Peoples (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 281,353 first dose (98.1%); 276,126 second dose (96.3%), 134,812 boosted (59.4% of those eligible)  
• 5 to 11-year-olds all ethnicities: 256,308 first dose (53.8%); 47,150 second dose (9.9%)  
• 5 to 11-year-olds - Māori: 40,034 first dose (34.6%); 5,390 second dose (4.7%)  
• 5 to 11-year-olds - Pacific Peoples: 23,134 first dose (46.8%); 2,497 second dose (5.1%)  

Note that the number for “People vaccinated” differs slightly from “Vaccines administered” as it includes those that have been vaccinated overseas.

You’ll note in the figures today there has been a negative movement in the booster uptake for both Maori and Pacific populations. This is as a result of more people becoming eligible to receive a booster.

Vaccination rates for all DHBs*   

• Northland DHB: first dose (90.1%); second dose (87.9%); boosted (69.6%)  
• Auckland Metro DHB: first dose (97.2%); second dose (96.1%); boosted (71%)  
• Waikato DHB: first dose (95.1%); second dose (93.5%); boosted (68.4%)  
• Bay of Plenty DHB: first dose (95%); second dose (93.2%); boosted (68.5%)  
• Lakes DHB: first dose (93.2%); second dose (91.4%); boosted (68.9%)  
• MidCentral DHB: first dose (96.5%); second dose (95.1%); boosted (74.4%)  
• Tairāwhiti DHB: first dose (93.2%); second dose (90.8%); boosted (69.3%)  
• Whanganui DHB: first dose (91.9%); second dose (90.3%); boosted (73.9%)  
• Hawke’s Bay DHB: first dose (97%); second dose (95.3%); boosted (72.4%)  
• Taranaki DHB: first dose (94.6%); second dose (93.1%); boosted (70.2%)  
• Wairarapa DHB: first dose (96.4%); second dose (94.9%); boosted (75%)  
• Capital & Coast DHB: first dose (98.5%); second dose (97.8%); boosted (81.2%)  
• Hutt Valley DHB: first dose (96.6%); second dose (95.6%); boosted (77.1%)  
• Nelson Marlborough DHB: first dose (96.5%); second dose (95.2%); boosted (75.9%)  
• West Coast DHB: first dose (92.6%); second dose (91%); boosted (73.8%)  
• Canterbury DHB: first dose (99.6%); second dose (98.7%); boosted (75.8%)  
• South Canterbury DHB: first dose (94.9%); second dose (93.8%); boosted (76.6%)  
• Southern DHB: first dose (98.1%); second dose (96.9%); boosted (75%)

*Partially and second doses percentages are for those 12+. Boosted percentages are for 18+ who have become eligible 3 months after having their second dose

Percentages are based on 2020 HSU data - a health-specific population denominator. As the population continues to change over time, coverage rates can exceed 100%.

Hospitalisations*

• Cases in hospital: total number 960: Northland: 23; North Shore: 158; Middlemore: 217; Auckland: 201 ; Waikato: 85; Bay of Plenty: 38; Lakes: 12; Tairāwhiti: 4, Hawke’s Bay: 39; Taranaki: 11; Whanganui: 6; MidCentral: 21; Hutt Valley: 15; Capital and Coast: 40; Wairarapa: 5; Nelson Marlborough: 12; Canterbury: 51; South Canterbury: 3; Southern: 19
• Average age of current hospitalisations: 59
• Cases in ICU or HDU: 31
• ·    Vaccination status of current hospitalisations (Northern Region only, excluding Emergency Departments): Unvaccinated or not eligible (96 cases / 17%); partially immunised <7 days from second dose or have only received one dose (21 cases / 4%); double vaccinated at least 7 days before being reported as a case (204 cases / 37%); Received booster at least 7 days before being reported as a case (210 cases / 38%); unknown (22 cases / 4%)

*The figures show that almost 4% of people aged 12 and over in the Northern Region have had no doses of the vaccine, while of those aged 12 and over in Northland and Auckland hospitals with COVID-19 for whom we have vaccination status recorded, 15% have had no doses of the vaccine and are more than three times over-represented in our hospitalisation figures.

Cases 

• Seven day rolling average of community cases: 17,111
• Number of new community cases: 20,087
• Number of new community cases (PCR): 438
• Number of new community cases (RAT): 19,649
• Location of new community cases (PCR & RAT): Northland (727), Auckland (4,122), Waikato (1,726), Bay of Plenty (1,290), Lakes (505), Hawke’s Bay (1,064), MidCentral (919), Whanganui (388), Taranaki (679), Tairāwhiti (339), Wairarapa (276), Capital and Coast (1,259), Hutt Valley (720), Nelson Marlborough (584), Canterbury (3,468), South Canterbury (319), Southern (1,631), West Coast (56); Unknown (15)
• Number of new cases identified at the border: 43
• Number of active community cases (total): 119,766 (cases identified in the past 7 days and not yet classified as recovered) 
• Confirmed cases (total): 537,582

Please note, the Ministry of Health’s daily reported cases may differ slightly from those reported at a DHB or local public health unit level. This is because of different reporting cut off times and the assignment of cases between regions, for example when a case is tested outside their usual region of residence. Total numbers will always be the formal daily case tally as reported to the WHO.

Tests

• Number of PCR tests total (last 24 hours): 3,483
• Number of Rapid Antigen Tests reported total (last 24 hours): 40,294
• PCR tests rolling average (last 7 days): 3,292
• Number of Rapid Antigen Tests dispatched (last 7 days as of 22/03/22): 15.7 million