Yesterday 9,108 paediatric doses were given, bringing the total to 159,296. There were also 30,146 booster doses, taking the total administered to date to 1,287,972.
With Omicron in New Zealand, the best thing you can do is get your booster as soon as it is due. Boosters lower your chances of getting very sick and being hospitalised. It also helps slow the spread of the virus. That’s why it’s important to get your booster four months after your second dose - so if you’re over 18 and your booster is due, please get it now.
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.
We are expecting the number of cases connected to the Soundsplash music festival in Hamilton last weekend to grow over the coming days as further test results are received. The Ministry of Health is continuing to advise all attendees to get a test, if they have not already done so.
We’re continuing to ask everyone in New Zealand to act as if Omicron is circulating in their community.
That means wearing a mask, physical distancing and scanning in using the COVID-19 Tracer app, when you’re out and about.
The most common early symptoms of the Omicron variant are a sore or scratchy throat, and a runny nose. So if you have these symptoms, please get a test, and stay at home until you get a negative result.
Testing and vaccination centre locations nationwide can be found on the Healthpoint website.
No unusual detections to report.
Sadly, today we are reporting the death of a patient with COVID-19 at North Shore Hospital.
The patient, who was in their 70s, was admitted to hospital on 21 January.
The person had a number of underlying health conditions and was receiving appropriate ward-level care.
Our thoughts are with the family, whānau and friends who have requested that their privacy be respected at this sad time.
We are reporting new community cases in Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Lakes, Tairāwhiti, MidCentral, Hawke’s Bay, Taranaki, Wellington, Nelson Tasman.
Today we are reporting four cases in Northland. Three of these cases were reported yesterday. The new case is a household member of an existing case.
There are 56 cases to report in Auckland today. However, a technical issue has meant that approximately 40 further have not been entered into the Ministry’s reporting systems. We are working to resolve the issue and the additional cases will be reported tomorrow.
Health and welfare providers are now supporting 891 people in the region to isolate at home, including 288 cases.
There are 12 new cases in the Waikato today, with 10 linked to previous cases and two under investigation. Seven are reported for Hamilton, two in Paeroa, one in Waihi, and two locations not yet confirmed.
There were 1620 tests processed in Waikato yesterday.
Public Health, primary care and manaaki providers are supporting 40 cases to isolate at home.
Eight new cases are being reported in the Lakes area today. Of these, six are contacts of other cases and two are being investigated. All eight of these cases are in the Rotorua district.
There are 14 new cases being reported in the Bay of Plenty today. Eight are contacts of existing cases and three are being investigated to determine any potential links. Six of these cases are in the Western Bay, four are in Tauranga and one is in the Eastern Bay of Plenty. There are three further cases onboard the Singapore-flagged Maersk Bogor container ship, which is currently under quarantine at the Port of Tauranga.
Bay of Plenty public health officials are encouraging anyone in Katikati who has symptoms or has been at a location of interest anywhere in New Zealand, to please get tested. Testing centres and opening hours in Katikati can be found on the Healthpoint website.
There is one new case to report in Tairāwhiti today. The case is linked an existing case and also has links to Soundsplash.
Three new cases are being reported in Hawke’s Bay today. Investigations are underway to determine any potential links to existing cases.
There is one new case being reported in MidCentral today, they are linked to an existing case in Tairāwhiti.
Two bus journeys will be published today as locations of interest in relation to this case. Anyone who was on either of these buses is considered a close contact and must self-identify by calling the COVID-19 Healthline on 0800 358 5453 or registering here.
The first bus was the InterCity IC6965 bus from Gisborne to Napier which departed Gisborne at 9.30am Friday 28 January and arrived in Napier at 1pm on the same day.
The second bus was the InterCity IC6367 bus from Napier to Wellington, which departed Napier at 1.50pm Friday 28 January and arrived in Wellington at 7.45pm on the same day. Although the case disembarked in Palmerston North, where they later tested positive for COVID-19, the entire trip is considered to be a Location of Interest and all passengers are close contacts.
There is one new COVID-19 case to report in Taranaki. The new case is a known close contact of cases linked to the Hawkes Bay region and this person has been isolating in South Taranaki whilst waiting for test results.
Today we can confirm two new cases. One in the Hutt Valley, linked to an event in Auckland, and one case in Capital & Coast DHB already in isolation and linked to an existing case.
With a further positive wastewater test result in Porirua, we urge anyone who lives in Porirua and Wellington’s northern suburbs to get a test if they feel unwell with COVID-19 like symptoms.
There are a number of new locations of interest to announce across the Wellington region, including two inbound flights deemed close contacts where people who were on-board need to self-isolate and test immediately. See full details on the Ministry’s Locations of Interest website.
We are reporting one new case in Nelson Tasman today. This case was transferred from Christchurch and is isolating in Nelson. Investigations are underway to determine how they are linked to the outbreak.