New Zealand is one step closer to reaching the 90 percent goal for people fully vaccinated against COVID-19 after the Ministry of Health announced the country had reached 75 percent on Saturday.
The Ministry of Health announced the landmark in their press release to announce the daily cases on Sunday.
They reported that there are 143 new community cases of COVID-19 with most of Sunday's new infections are in Auckland apart from half a dozen in Waikato and two in Northland. The Northland cases were notified on Saturday but were added to Sunday's numbers.
There are currently 56 people in hospital which is up from 47 yesterday, with 55 in the Auckland region and one in Waikato.
The major milestone of 75 percent fully vaccinated was announced after a total of 42,617 people received the jab on Saturday, with 31,914 of them being second dose.
It was also revealed that Auckland has now reached 80 percent fully vaccinated as Aucklanders look to move to the Government's new traffic light system.
For Auckland to move out of its current lockdown, which it has been in for 74 days since the first case of Delta appeared in the community, it needs all three of its DHBs - Auckland, Counties Manukau and Waitemata - to reach the 90 percent fully vaccinated target.
For the rest of New Zealand, they need all of the DHBs to be at 90 percent before they can move to the traffic light system.
The Ministry wanted to remind New Zealanders who haven't been vaccinated, to "not delay doing so wherever you are in the country. It's safe, will help to stop you and your loved ones getting seriously ill, and could save your life and theirs".
Only five DHBs out of 21 have reached the 90 percent target for first dose, with those being Waitemata, Auckland, Capital and Coast, Canterbury and Southern.
Bringing up the rear is Tairawhiti at 78 percent and Northland at 79 percent but the Ministry of Health is confident that all DHBs should reach the 90 percent single dose in the next week.
