From today, anyone aged 18 and over who had their second vaccination at least four months ago can get their booster dose.

People can book an appointment with the COVID Vaccination Healthline team on 0800 28 29 26, or they can visit a walk-in vaccination site. More than 5,300 booster shots were administered yesterday (5,328).

From 17 January 2022, people can book boosters at BookMyVaccine.nz if it’s been four months since their second dose. Those who had their second dose at least 6 months ago, can book an appointment now through Book My Vaccine.

From January 17, children aged between 5-12 will be eligible for the vaccine, those aged 12 and over are already eligible.

Omicron update

We are today reporting 23 cases identified at the border.  While whole genome sequencing of these cases is expected soon, the likelihood is that Omicron will continue to be the most prevalent variant at our borders.

This variant of COVID-19 continues to be having a significant impact globally, so it is not unexpected to see an increase of Omicron cases at the border.

COVID-19 vaccine update

• Vaccines administered to date (percentage of eligible people): 3,975,922 first doses (94%); 3,858,117 second doses (92%); 29,250 third primary doses; 339,172 booster doses
• Vaccines administered yesterday: 403 first doses; 1,410 second doses; 20 third primary doses and 5,328 booster doses.
• Māori (percentage of eligible people): 500,775 first doses (88%); 462,658 second doses (81%)
• Pacific Peoples (percentage of eligible people): 271,497 first doses (95%); 259,634 second doses (91%)

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

• Northland DHB: First doses (89%); second doses (84%)
• Auckland Metro DHBs: First doses (96%); second doses (94%)
• Waikato DHB: First doses (94%); second doses (90%)
• Bay of Plenty DHB: First doses (93%); second doses (90%)
• Lakes DHB: First doses (92%); second doses (88%)
• Taranaki DHB: First doses (93%); second doses (89%)
• 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 (95%)

Hospitalisations

Cases in hospital: 44; North Shore: 8; Auckland: 14; Middlemore: 17, Tauranga: 4, Rotorua: 1

Vaccination status of current hospitalisations (Northern Region wards only): Unvaccinated or not eligible (18 cases / 39.1%); partially immunised <7 days from second dose or have only received one dose (9 cases / 19.6%); fully vaccinated at least 7 days before being reported as a case (10 cases / 21.7%); 9 unknown (19.6%).

Average age of current hospitalisations: 52

Cases in ICU or HDU: 5 (2 in Middlemore and 3 in Tauranga).

Cases

• Seven day rolling average of community cases: 36.6
• Number of new community cases: 17
• Number of new cases identified at the border: 23
• Location of new community cases: Auckland (5), Waikato (3), Bay of Plenty (9)
• Number of community cases (total): 11.003 (in current community outbreak)
• Cases epidemiologically linked (total): 8285
• Number of active cases (total): 1,102 (cases identified in the past 21 days and not yet classified as recovered)
• Confirmed cases (total): 14,030

Contacts

• Number of active contacts being managed (total): 5,252
• Percentage who have received an outbound call from contact tracers (to confirm testing and isolation requirements): 83%
• Percentage who have returned at least one result: 77%

Tests

• Number of tests total (last 24 hours): 10,450
• Tests rolling average (last 7 days): 11,387
• Auckland tests total (last 24 hours): 4,396

Wastewater

No unexpected detections

NZ COVID Tracer

Poster scans in the 24 hours to midday yesterday: 1,964,255

Manual diary entries in the 24 hours to midday: 38,090

My Vaccine Pass

• My vaccine pass downloads total: 4,641,086
• My vaccine pass downloads (last 24 hours): 7,997