Today we are reporting 18,699 new community cases, 853 people in hospital with the virus, and seven additional COVID-19 related deaths.

This is another reminder that the Omicron variant can still cause serious illness and/or death either directly or by its impact on other health conditions.

Getting vaccinated and boosted will help to keep you out of hospital if you catch COVID-19 and could save your life.

At this sad time, our thoughts are with the whanau and friends of all those who have died.

COVID-19 related deaths

As we have said, we are today reporting the deaths of seven people with COVID-19. Of these deaths, three occurred in the Auckland region, and one each in Bay of Plenty, MidCentral, Wellington and Canterbury.

The total number of publicly reported COVID-19 related deaths to date is now 105.

Of the people who have died that we are announcing today, one person was in their fifties, two were in their 70s, two were in their 80s, and two were in their 90s. Four were male and three were female.

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

Registering your result

If you test positive with a rapid antigen test, it’s essential you register your positive result.

You can register in My Covid Record. If you cannot access My Covid Record, call 0800 222 478. 

As of yesterday, parents and caregivers can choose to use My Covid Record to report rapid antigen test results for children under 12 and other family members.

We want to acknowledge and thank people for reporting their results. Registering your positive result  is important. It’s the best way to give public health officials an overview of case numbers in particular areas of New Zealand, to help determine the best spread of public health resources. It’s also important if your condition worsens and you require additional healthcare.

Home isolation

As of 11.59pm last night, the isolation period for cases and household contacts has now reduced from 10 to seven days.

This change applies to anyone who is isolating at the time of the change.

If you test positive for COVID-19, you are required to isolate for 7 days. You do not need to be retested after your initial positive result. If you still have symptoms after 7 days, stay home until you feel better and then wait another 24 hours.

If you are a household contact and you have done a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) on both days 3 and 7 of the isolation period of the first COVID-19 positive person in your house, and both tests are negative, you can leave isolation on day 8 if you are well.

If you are a household contact and return a positive RAT result while isolating, you will need to isolate for a further 7 days and wait till 24 hours after you are symptom free. Other household members do not have to reset their isolation and can leave isolation on day 8, the same day as the first case can leave isolation, provided they have returned negative RAT results and are not symptomatic.

If you’ve tested negative, but still feel sick or symptomatic, we strongly advise you to follow public health guidance and stay home and away from public places, work and other social gatherings to keep others and yourself safe. You should retest in 48 hours if symptoms persist or worsen.

Vaccinations administered in New Zealand 

• Vaccines administered to date: 4,022,553 first doses; 3,968,025 second doses; 34,234 third primary doses; 2,505,482 booster doses: 252,911 paediatric first doses and 6,869 paediatric second doses  
• Vaccines administered yesterday: 207 first doses; 643 second doses; 52 third primary doses; 8,598 booster doses; 635 paediatric first doses and 525 paediatric second doses  

People vaccinated  

• All Ethnicities (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 4,068,341 first dose (96.7%); 4,010,902 second dose (95.3%), 2,507,124 boosted (72.7% of those eligible)  
• Māori (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 520,820 first dose (91.2%); 501,787 second dose (87.9%), 219,246 boosted (59.6% of those eligible)  
• Pacific Peoples (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 281,549 first dose (98.2%); 275,914 second dose (96.2%), 130,604 boosted (59.6% of those eligible)  
• 5 to 11-year-olds all ethnicities: 252,704 first dose (53.1%); 6,744 second dose (1.4%)  
• 5 to 11-year-olds - Māori: 38,931 first dose (33.7%); 1,070 second dose (0.9%)  
• 5 to 11-year-olds - Pacific Peoples: 22,504 first dose (45.6%); 757 second dose (1.5%)  

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

Vaccination rates for all DHBs*   

• Northland DHB: first dose (90.5%); second dose (88.1%); boosted (70.1%)  
• Auckland Metro DHB: first dose (97.4%); second dose (96.3%); boosted (70.6%)  
• Waikato DHB: first dose (95.5%); second dose (93.8%); boosted (68.6%)  
• Bay of Plenty DHB: first dose (95.4%); second dose (93.5%); boosted (69.2%)  
• Lakes DHB: first dose (93.7%); second dose (91.7%); boosted (69.4%)  
• MidCentral DHB: first dose (96.9%); second dose (95.5%); boosted (74.8%)  
• Tairāwhiti DHB: first dose (93.5%); second dose (91.1%); boosted (69.9%)  
• Whanganui DHB: first dose (92.5%); second dose (90.7%); boosted (74.6%)  
• Hawke’s Bay DHB: first dose (97.4%); second dose (95.6%); boosted (72.8%)  
• Taranaki DHB: first dose (94.9%); second dose (93.3%); boosted (70.1%)  
• Wairarapa DHB: first dose (96.9%); second dose (95.2%); boosted (75.5%)  
• Capital & Coast DHB: first dose (98.9%); second dose (98%); boosted (81.2%)  
• Hutt Valley DHB: first dose (97%); second dose (95.8%); boosted (77.3%)  
• Nelson Marlborough DHB: first dose (97%); second dose (95.6%); boosted (76.3%)  
• West Coast DHB: first dose (93.2%); second dose (91.4%); boosted (74.5%)  
• Canterbury DHB: first dose** (100%); second dose (98.9%); boosted (75.5%)  
• South Canterbury DHB: first dose (95.5%); second dose (94.3%); boosted (76.8%)  
• Southern DHB: first dose (98.4%); second dose (97.1%); boosted (75.2%)

*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

**Percentage is 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 853: Northland: 19; North Shore: 172; Middlemore: 199; Auckland: 208; Waikato: 69; Bay of Plenty: 28; Lakes: 12; Tairāwhiti: 3, Hawke’s Bay: 23; Taranaki: 10; MidCentral: 18; Whanganui: 2; Hutt Valley: 19; Capital and Coast: 33; Wairarapa: 5; Nelson Marlborough: 3; Canterbury: 22; Southern: 8.
• Average age of current hospitalisations: 59
• Cases in ICU or HDU: 17
• Vaccination status of current hospitalisations (Northern Region only, excluding Emergency Departments): Unvaccinated or not eligible (97 cases / 19%); partially immunised <7 days from second dose or have only received one dose (16 cases / 3%); double vaccinated at least 7 days before being reported as a case (192 cases / 37%); Received booster at least 7 days before being reported as a case (156 cases / 30%); unknown (54 cases / 10%)

*The figures show that just over 3% 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, 19% have had no doses of the vaccine.

Cases 

• Seven day rolling average of community cases: 19,888
• Number of new community cases: 18,699
• Number of new community cases (PCR): 540
• Number of new community cases (RAT): 18,159
• Location of new community cases (PCR & RAT): Northland (670), Auckland (6,077), Waikato (1,700), Bay of Plenty (1,247), Lakes (496), Hawke’s Bay (730), MidCentral (667), Whanganui (162), Taranaki (462), Tairāwhiti (377), Wairarapa (169), Capital and Coast (1,545), Hutt Valley (937), Nelson Marlborough (424), Canterbury (2,028), South Canterbury (118), Southern (848), West Coast (32); Unknown (10)
• Number of new cases identified at the border: 16
• Number of active community cases (total): 206,288 (cases identified in the past 10 days and not yet classified as recovered) 
• Confirmed cases (total): 346,621

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): 4,431
• PCR tests rolling average (last 7 days up to 11/03): 4,732
• Number of Rapid Antigen Tests dispatched (last 7 days): 13.4 million