We are continuing to encourage as many people as are eligible to get their booster shots and paediatric vaccinations.

Yesterday 42,319 boosters were given and 12,388 vaccinations to 5-11 year olds.

Together with first and second doses, a total of 58,481 vaccinations were given yesterday.

New Zealand’s vaccine rollout remains our key defence against all variants of COVID-19, including Omicron and we want to continue to thank everyone who got their first, second or booster shot yesterday, and thanks too to all the 5-11 years who went along for their first dose.

To book a paediatric vaccine, you can:

Book an appointment through Book My Vaccine
See a list of all sites offering child vaccinations including walk-ins.
Make a whānau group booking by calling the Healthline number 0800 28 29 26
Use Healthpoint to find out of your local doctor or pharmacy can immunise local tamariki

We note Lakes DHB has now hit 90% double dosed, and Hutt Valley has hit 95% double dosed. Congratulations to both DHBs.

Palmerston North Omicron case update
There have been 76 contacts identified to date linked to the Palmerston North Omicron case. All but two have been contacted and 66 have returned a negative result. Further test results will be reported Sunday.

Worker at Auckland Airport confirmed Omicron case
Today the Ministry of Health is confirming the possible Omicron case reported yesterday is now confirmed as the Omicron variant. As announced yesterday the case was being treated as an Omicron case prior to this being confirmed. The case has been potentially linked to returnees in Rotorua and Auckland through whole genome sequencing. This information will assist investigations to determine the source of infection.

There have been 32 contacts identified, around half have been contacted and tested. As reported yesterday there has been one positive result reported in a household member and 16 other contacts have returned a negative result.

Our objective for all possible Omicron cases is to stamp out the infection and prevent any onward transmission.

Healthline reminder
Public health staff are continuing to focus on identifying people who were at the Ara-Tai Café Half Moon Bay in Eastern Auckland. Of the 78 contacts identified and linked to the café, 48 have returned a negative result

This location of interest is high risk and people who were at Half Moon Bay’s Ara-Tai Café from 12.30 to 2pm on Tuesday (18 January) are urged to isolate and get tested immediately, and to test again on Sunday, January 23.

Anyone who visited the café during this time and hasn’t already done so, should also contact Healthline on 0800 358 5453 to register at this location or register online.

It’s a timely reminder to all potential close contacts of a case to either call Healthline or register their location of interest online on the Ministry of Health locations of Interest page and follow advice from a health professional, as this is advice is specific to an individual and the exposure event.


Nelson Tasman cases now linked to five flights
Five flights have now been linked to the nine cases in the Nelson Tasman region reported yesterday will be listed today as locations of interest.

An Air New Zealand crew member on the same Auckland to Nelson flight as the nine cases has now tested positive. This flight and four other flights the crew member worked on during their possible infectious period, prior to their testing positive, are now also listed as locations of interest. The flights are:

Flight NZ 5083 from Auckland to Nelson at 5.20 pm on 16 January
Flight NZ 5080 from Nelson to Auckland at 4 pm on 19 January
Flight NZ 5077 from Auckland to Nelson at 2pm on 19 January
Flight NZ 5049 from Auckland to New Plymouth at 7.50 pm on 19 January
Flight NZ 5042 from New Plymouth to Auckland at 1.50 pm on 20 January
Air New Zealand report their crew member is fully vaccinated, and the positive case was found after the crew member felt unwell and was tested on top of the regular surveillance testing.

The flights are now listed as Locations of Interest on the Ministry’s website and advice to those on the flights is provided there. All those on the flights are in the process of being contacted and provided with advice.

Whole genome sequencing for the Nelson Tasman cases and the Air New Zealand crew member are expected later today.

The nine Nelson Tasman cases are all from one household.

Eight of these cases were notified yesterday after the Ministry’s reporting deadline and are today being added to the official tally. There are no additional new cases to report in the region today.

Case interviews continue with genome sequencing expected later today to identify the variant. Public health officials continue to investigate recent travel to Auckland as the source of their infections.

Locations of interest will be added to the Ministry’s webpage where contacts at exposure events cannot be identified.

Anyone who was on these flights and who has not yet been contacted should get tested and isolate at home.

Public health officials report a strong response to testing yesterday afternoon and are expecting further demand over the weekend.

Testing sites are operating in Nelson and Motueka today and over the weekend. For details of all dedicated testing sites including general practices, visit Healthpoint or the DHB Facebook page.

COVID-19 vaccine update
Vaccines administered to date (percentage of eligible people): 3,995,126 first doses (95%); 3,908,835 second doses (93%); 36,426 third primary doses; 946,449 booster doses
Vaccines administered yesterday: 1,125 first doses; 2,170 second doses; 478 third primary doses and 42,319 booster doses.
Māori (percentage of eligible people): 508,850 first doses (89%); 479,946 second doses (84%).
Pacific Peoples (percentage of eligible people): 275,469 first doses (96%); 266,716 second doses (93%).
Vaccination rates by DHB with active cases (percentage of eligible people)
Northland DHB: First doses (89%); second doses (86%)
Auckland Metro DHBs: First doses (97%); second doses (95%)
Waikato DHB: First doses (94%); second doses (92%)
Bay of Plenty DHB: First doses (94%); second doses (91%)
Lakes DHB: First doses (93%); second doses (90%)
MidCentral DHB: First doses (96%); second doses (94%)
Hawke’s Bay DHB: First doses (96%); second doses (93%)
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: First doses (96%); second doses (94%)
Canterbury DHB: First doses (99%); second doses (97%)

Hospitalisations
Cases in hospital: 8; North Shore: 4; Auckland: 3; Middlemore: 1.
Vaccination status of current hospitalisations (Northern Region wards only): Unvaccinated or not eligible (0 cases / 0%); partially immunised <7 days from second dose or have only received one dose (1 case / 13%); fully vaccinated at least 7 days before being reported as a case (7 cases / 87%); unknown (0 cases / 0%).
Average age of current hospitalisations: 63
Cases in ICU or HDU: Zero

Cases
Seven day rolling average of community cases: 25
Seven day rolling average of border cases: 41
Number of new community cases: 43
Number of new cases identified at the border: 41
Location of new community cases: Auckland (19), Waikato (4), Lakes (6), *Hawke’s Bay (6), *Nelson Marlborough (8)
Number of community cases (total): 11,466 (in current community outbreak)
Cases epidemiologically linked (total): 8,715
Number of active cases (total): 478 (cases identified in the past 21 days and not yet classified as recovered)
Confirmed cases (total): 15,104

Contacts
Number of active contacts being managed (total): 4,879
Percentage who has received an outbound call from contact tracers (to confirm testing and isolation requirements): 78%
Percentage who has returned at least one result: 78%

Tests
Number of tests total (last 24 hours): 14,337
Tests rolling average (last 7 days): 13,388
Auckland tests total (last 24 hours): 7,546

Wastewater
No unexpected results.

NZ COVID Tracer
Poster scans in the 24 hours to midday yesterday: 2,617,194
Manual diary entries in the 24 hours to midday: 41,385
My Vaccine Pass
My vaccine pass downloads total: 4,873,140
My vaccine pass downloads (last 24 hours): 13,762
New cases identified at the border