No new cases of COVID-19 were recorded in Hutt Valley on Thursday and there were also no new Omicron detections in MIQ.
A total of 56 new community cases were announced on Thursday, with 48 people in hospital, seven of which are in ICU or HDU.
What you need to know:
- The Ministry of Health announced no new Omicron cases in MIQ on Thursday, keeping the total in New Zealand at 28
- There were 56 new COVID-19 community cases on Thursday - 42 in Auckland, four in Waikato, six in the Bay of Plenty, two in Lakes, one in Taranaki and one in Tairāwhiti, though the Tairāwhiti case is located in Tauranga
- There are 48 people in hospital, with seven in ICU or HDU
- The wait time between someone's second vaccine dose and their booster shot has been reduced from six months to four months
- The upcoming MIQ room released scheduled for Wednesday has been cancelled, the next one will be on January 6 (NZ time).
- Start of non-MIQ international travel delayed from January 17 to end of February
- Children aged between five and 11 to start receiving vaccines from January 17
2:14pm - An Auckland gym has been fined by WorkSafe for failing to comply with its responsibilities under the COVID-19 Protection Framework.
Oliver MMA, a martial arts and fitness centre in Auckland, has knowingly allowed unvaccinated staff to carry out work. The infringement notice carries a fee of $12,000.
"This is the first COVID-related financial penalty handed out by WorkSafe since New Zealand moved to the COVID-19 Protection Framework. Egregious breaches like this will be treated seriously," says WorkSafe's Head of General Inspectorate Simon Humphries.
"This business has continued to operate in breach of the rules. That's not fair to the high number of businesses and organisations who have changed how they operate to keep people safe.
"They have also continued to make their stance known on social media and in comments to media organisations. It's clear they aren't meeting the requirements and haven't intended to up to this point.
"In the first two weeks of the COVID-19 Protection Framework, WorkSafe has been gathering data on areas where understanding might not be as good as it could be, so we could engage with industries and businesses to provide education on the requirements.
"The overwhelming majority of businesses and organisations are doing what's required of them. WorkSafe has received a relatively small number of concerns during the initial fortnight of the new system."
2pm - An epidemiologist advises higher caution in areas of low vaccination, as statistical breakdown of vaccination rates across the nation's suburbs is revealed.
The holiday season is upon us, but COVID-19 is in the community and Omicron is at our doorstep.
So should be people be considering the vaccination rates of the areas they intend to visit?
University of Auckland professor epidemiology Rod Jackson says it is a good idea.
1:50pm - National is echoing ACT in calling for boosters to be made available immediately for anyone who has waited four months after their second shot, rather than in early January as the Government has planned.
"In the last 24 hours, I have been contacted by many people who heard the announcement about the gap between second and third doses of Pfizer vaccine bring reduced to four months," COVID-19 Response spokesperson Chris Bishop says.
"These people attempted to get vaccinated right away but were told to come back in January.
"This makes no sense. We need people getting boosted right now. Some New Zealanders have heard the message from the Government and are trying to do the right thing, but the system is letting them down. "
He says supply isn't an issue and people should be able to book their boosters now.
1:45pm - More from the Ministry of Health:
There were 23,016 total vaccine doses administered yesterday, including 1,578 first doses and 7,258 second doses. To date, 95% of eligible people in New Zealand have had their first dose (partially vaccinated) and 91% are double-dosed (fully vaccinated).
Eleven DHBs are now fully vaccinated to 90% or higher, with Hawke’s Bay and Waikato next in line on 89%, with 823 and 2,147 doses left to go respectively before reaching this milestone.
Holiday reminder
People should stick to the basics to reduce the risk of catching and spreading COVID-19 over the Christmas and New Year break.
That means wearing a mask or face covering and physical distancing in crowded or unventilated spaces and scanning in using the COVID-19 Tracer app or keeping a manual diary.
As always, people who have any symptoms that could be COVID-19 are asked to get a test and stay at home until they receive a negative result.
The vaccine remains our key defence against all variants of COVID-19, including Omicron. We continue to ask everyone who is eligible to get vaccinated, including people who are now eligible for a booster dose.
Testing and vaccination centre locations nationwide can be found on the Healthpoint website.
Wastewater update
Following the detection of COVID-19 in samples collected from Napier on 15, 19 and 20 December, the virus was not detected in a sample collected on 21 December.
A follow up sample has been collected for analysis.
The recent wastewater detections in the area may be due to undetected community transmission or a recently recovered case returning to the region shedding the virus, but is no longer infectious.
Anyone who has symptoms – no matter how mild – is asked to get tested, even if they are vaccinated - and stay home until they return a negative test result. For all testing locations, please visit the Healthpoint website.
There are no other new, unexpected wastewater results to report.
Today’s cases
Today, we are reporting new community cases in Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Lakes, Taranaki, and Tairāwhiti.
Please note, the Tairāwhiti’s case was tested, and is currently located, in the Tauranga area. This case has been officially transferred to Tairāwhiti’s case numbers as they have a permanent Tairāwhiti address.
Regional updates
We are continuing to ask anyone in New Zealand with symptoms – no matter how mild – to get tested, even if you’re vaccinated. Please stay at home until you return a negative test result.
Testing and vaccination centre locations nationwide can be found on the Healthpoint website.
Auckland
Today, there are 42 new cases being reported in Auckland.
Health and welfare providers are now supporting 1,831 people to isolate at home, including 583 cases.
Waikato
There are four new cases being reported in Waikato today; two in Te Kūiti, one in Ōtorohanga, and one case with location information yet to be confirmed.
There are 10 pop-up and dedicated testing sites operating throughout Waikato today with sites in Hamilton, Te Kūiti, Tokoroa, Putāruru, Taumarunui, Huntly, Ngāruawāhia, and Ōtorohanga.
Health and welfare providers are supporting 61 cases to isolate at home
For a full list of testing sites, see the Waikato DHB website.
Bay of Plenty
There are six new cases being reported in the Bay of Plenty today. Of those, one is in in the Eastern Bay of Plenty and five are in the Western Bay of Plenty.
Following initial investigations, three cases are deemed linked to existing cases. Interviews with the remaining cases to determine any possible connections are ongoing.
Additionally, we are also reporting a case that was tested and is currently located in the Tauranga area. This case has been officially transferred to Tairāwhiti’s case numbers as they have a permanent Tairāwhiti address.
Contacts are being identified and will be called and given testing and isolation advice.
Lakes
There are two news cases being reported in the Lakes district today, both are in Rotorua and are household contacts of existing cases.
Taranaki
Today there is one new case being reported in Taranaki, linked to the Eltham cluster. It is understood this case has been self-isolating during their infectious period.
1:40pm - Here are the main figures from the Ministry of Health:
COVID-19 vaccine update
- Vaccines administered to date (percentage of eligible people): 3,969,641 first doses (95%); 3,822,918 second doses (91%); 26,971 third primary doses; 253,269 booster doses
- Vaccines administered yesterday: 1,578 first doses; 7,258 second doses; 807 third primary doses and 13,373 booster doses.
- Māori (percentage of eligible people): 498,442 first doses (87%); 450,999 second doses (79%)
- Pacific Peoples (percentage of eligible people): 270,488 first doses (94%); 255,815 second doses (89%)
Vaccination rates by DHB with active cases (percentage of eligible people)
- Northland DHB: First doses (88%); second doses (83%)
- Auckland Metro DHBs: First doses (96%); second doses (93%)
- Waikato DHB: First doses (93%); second doses (89%)
- Bay of Plenty DHB: First doses (93%); second doses (88%)
- Lakes DHB: First doses (92%); second doses (86%)
- Taranaki DHB: First doses (93%); second doses (88%)
- Hawke’s Bay DHB: First doses (94%); second doses (89%)
- Hutt Valley DHB: First doses (95%); second doses (92%)
- Nelson-Marlborough DHB: First doses (95%); second doses (90%)
- Canterbury DHB: First doses (98%); second doses (95%)
Hospitalisations
- Cases in hospital: 48; North Shore: 8; Auckland: 19; Middlemore: 18; Waikato: 2; Tauranga: 1
- Vaccination status of current hospitalisations (Northern Region wards only): Unvaccinated or not eligible (24 cases / 54%); partially immunised <7 days from second dose or have only received one dose (6 cases / 13%); fully vaccinated at least 7 days before being reported as a case (11 cases/ 24%); unknown (4 cases / 9%)
- Average age of current hospitalisations: 49
- Cases in ICU or HDU: 7 (1 in North Shore; 2 in Auckland; 4 in Middlemore)
Cases
- Seven day rolling average of community cases: 58.1
- Number of new community cases: 56
- Number of new cases identified at the border: 4
- Location of new community cases: Auckland (42), Waikato (4), Bay of Plenty (6), Lakes (2), Tairāwhiti* (1), and Taranaki (1).
- Number of community cases (total): 10,432 (in current community outbreak)
- Cases epidemiologically linked (total): 7,777
- Number of active cases (total): 1,537 (cases identified in the past 21 days and not yet classed as recovered)
- Confirmed cases (total): 13,278**
*Please note, the Tairāwhiti’s case was tested, and is currently located, in the Tauranga area. This case has been officially transferred to Tairāwhiti’s case numbers as they have a permanent Tairāwhiti address.
**A case in Auckland reported as ‘under investigation’ since the end of November has now been confirmed a case and is reflected in the overall confirmed case numbers to date.
Contacts
- Number of active contacts being managed (total): 6,482
- Percentage who have received an outbound call from contact tracers (to confirm testing and isolation requirements): 86%
- Percentage who have returned at least one result: 80%
Tests
- Number of tests total (last 24 hours): 21,963
- Tests rolling average (last 7 days): 18,818
- Auckland tests total (last 24 hours): 11,490
Wastewater
- Wastewater update below
NZ COVID Tracer
- Poster scans in 24 hours to midday yesterday: 2,439,398
- Manual diary entries in 24 hours to midday: 32,625
My Vaccine Pass
- My vaccine passes issued total: 4,488,461
- My vaccine passes issued (last 24 hours): 28,877
1:35pm - For the second day in a row, there are 56 new community cases of COVID-19. The Ministry of Health's releases makes no mention of any new Omicron cases in MIQ.
Of the 56 cases, 42 are in Auckland, four were recorded in Waikato, six in Bay of Plenty, two in Lakes and one in Taranaki. A case has also been allocated to Tairāwhiti but the person was tested and is currently located in Tauranga.
"This case has been officially transferred to Tairāwhiti’s case numbers as they have a permanent Tairāwhiti address.
"A case in Auckland reported as 'under investigation' since the end of November has now been confirmed a case and is reflected in the overall confirmed case numbers to date."
12:45pm - We are waiting on the 1pm case update. We'll bring that to you as soon as it arrives.
12:30pm - Here's a reminder of the case update from Wednesday:
- Seven day rolling average of community cases: 59.7
- Number of new community cases: 56
- Number of new cases identified at the border: 4
- Location of new community cases: Auckland (33), Waikato (6), Bay of Plenty (11), Lakes (4), Taranaki (1), Hutt Valley (1)
- Number of community cases (total): 10,375 (in current community outbreak)
- Number of active cases (total): 1,653
- Confirmed cases (total): 13,219
- Cases epidemiologically linked (total): 7,721
12:15pm - Omicron could force more changes to the country's contact tracing system, with the Ministry of Health carefully monitoring the situation in Australia and the UK.
Contact tracing is critical to containing any incursion of the new COVID-19 variant, but the system struggled to keep up during the height of the Delta outbreak.
Tracing will be vital to contain any outbreak over the Christmas period as New Zealanders move around the country.
12:05pm - There are four new locations of interest, all in Bay of Plenty:
- Golf 350 Retail Shop Mount Maunganui - Friday, December 17 between 1:45pm and 3:30pm
- Papamoa Beach Four Square - Monday, December 13 between 1:09pm and 2:34pm
- Pathlab Mount Maunganui - Thursday, December 16 between 1:34pm and 1:44pm
- Countdown Bayfair - Wednesday, December 15 between 1:42pm and 3:17pm
11:55am - In a release about the confusion over the booster shot timeline, ACT's David Seymour says the jabs should have been made available immediately, not in early January.
"Predictably, GPs and pharmacies were inundated with requests for four-month boosters, some even being abused for not offering them. They were told that they could issue them after all as early as Wednesday morning, as part of a communication failure by the Government.
"Now there appears to be inconsistency across regions, with boosters being available in Auckland but not elsewhere. Chris Hipkins needs to come forward and say what the policy for four-month boosters is. When will they be available, from where, and what is causing any delay?"
He described the the Government's communication as the "source of the chaos".
11:50am - Mixed messages about booster vaccine shots have led to anger and confusion among customers, says a Wellington pharmacist.
Ben Latty from Wellworks Pharmacy in Wellington told Morning Report it's great people want the booster sooner, but he's not able to provide it.
He said he's had people become angry and frustrated when they've realised they would be out of luck.
11:35am - A number of locations of interest have been released on Thursday morning, mostly in Bay of Plenty's Papamoa, Tauranga and Mount Maunganui.
There is also one in Lower Hutt: Fuda Bakery - December 21 between 8:55am and 9:10am.
11:20am - Over in Victoria, 2005 new cases have been found, an increase from 1503 on Wednesday. Ten people have died and 398 people are hospitalised with COVID-19 in the state.
11:10am - As we wait for the New Zealand COVID update at 1pm, here's a look at the latest update from New South Wales, where things appear to be going from bad to worse as Omicron spreads.
The state recorded 5715 COVID cases over the last 24 hours. A total of 347 people are in hospital and 45 are in ICU. On Wednesday, the state detected 3763 cases.
This graph from the ABC shows the speed in which Omicron has spread:
11am - Kia ora, good morning and welcome to Newshub's live updates for Thursday.
We are waiting for the 1pm Ministry of Health update which will reveal if any new cases of COVID-19 have been found in Hutt Valley.
The area recorded a case on Wednesday, prompting a number of locations of interest to be identified in both Lower and Upper Hutt.
