There are 106 new cases of COVID-19 to report on Sunday as Auckland, the epicentre of the ongoing outbreak of the highly infectious Delta variant, enjoys its first weekend of freedom in more than 100 days.
Here's the full statement from the Ministry of Health:
Two District Health Boards (DHBs), Auckland and Capital and Coast, have now reached the milestone of vaccinating 90 percent of their eligible Māori population with their first dose.
This is closely followed by four other DHBs – Waitemata, MidCentral, Hutt Valley and Wairarapa DHBs - all of which have vaccinated at least 87 percent or more of their eligible Māori populations with their first dose.
New Zealand continues to close in on the 90 percent double-dose milestone, with 88 percent of the total eligible population nationwide (those aged 12 and over) now fully vaccinated.
COVID-19 vaccine update
- Total vaccines administered to date (percentage of eligible people): 7,724,694: 3,923,813 first doses (93 pct); 3,681,862 second doses (88 pct); 16,857 third primary doses; 102,162 booster doses
- Total vaccines administered yesterday: 26,957: 5,636 first doses; 13,998 second doses; 253 third primary doses; 7,070 booster doses
- Māori (percentage of eligible people): 480,746 first doses (84 pct); 407,535 second doses (71 pct)
- Pacific Peoples (percentage of eligible people): 264,977 first doses (92 pct); second doses 240,947 (84 pct)
- Total first and second vaccines administered to Auckland residents yesterday: 1,430 first doses; and 3,912 second doses
- My Vaccine Passes issued: 141,062 issued yesterday; 3,660,132 issued in total
Vaccination rates by DHB (with active cases)
- Northland DHB (percentage of eligible people): First doses (86 pct); second doses (79 pct)
- Auckland Metro DHBs (percentage of eligible people): First doses (95 pct); second doses (91 pct)
- Waikato DHB (percentage of eligible people): First doses (92 pct); second doses (86 pct)
- Bay of Plenty DHB (percentage of eligible people): First doses (91 pct); second doses (83 pct)
- Lakes DHB (percentage of eligible people): First doses (90 pct)*; second doses (81 pct)
- MidCentral DHB (percentage of eligible people): First doses (93 pct); second doses (86 pct)
- Whanganui DHB: First doses (89 pct); second doses (81 pct)
- Hawke's Bay DHB (percentage of eligible people): First doses (92 pct); second doses (84 pct)
- Nelson-Marlborough DHB (percentage of eligible people): First doses (93 pct); second doses (86 pct)
- Canterbury DHB (percentage of eligible people): First doses (96 pct); second doses (91 pct)
- Taranaki DHB (percentage of eligible people): First doses (91 pct); second doses (84 pct)
* Rounding up
Hospitalisations
- Cases in hospital: 77: Waitemata (14); Auckland (31); Counties Manukau (28); Waikato (3); Bay of Plenty (1)
- Vaccination status of current hospitalisations (Northern Region wards only): Unvaccinated or not eligible (38 cases / 56 pct); partially immunised <7 days from second dose or have only received one dose (17 cases / 25 pct); fully vaccinated at least 7 days before being reported as a case (9 cases / 13 pct); unknown (4 cases / 6 pct)
- Average age of current hospitalisations: 48
- Cases in ICU or HDU: 7 (2 in Auckland; 3 in Middlemore, 1 in North Shore; 1 in Waikato)
Cases
- Seven day rolling average of community cases: 133
- Number of new community cases: 106
- Number of new cases identified at the border: 2
- Location of new community cases*: Northland (3), Auckland (93), Waikato (8), Whanganui (1), Canterbury (1)
- Location of community cases (total): Location of community cases (total): Northland 91 (63 of whom have recovered); Auckland 8,271 (2,387 of whom have recovered); Waikato 508 (250 of whom have recovered); Bay of Plenty 72 (2 of whom recovered); Hawke's Bay 3; Lakes 30 (19 of whom have recovered); Taranaki 8 (6 of whom have recovered); MidCentral 6 (3 have recovered); Whanganui 1; Wairarapa 3 (all recovered); Wellington 18 (all recovered); Nelson/Marlborough 16 (1 recovered); Canterbury 10 (5 of whom have recovered);
- Number of community cases (total): 9037 (in current community outbreak)
- Confirmed cases (total): 11,825
- Historical cases: 207 out of 10,021 cases since 1 January
- Cases infectious in the community: 54 cases reported yesterday have exposure events
- Cases in isolation throughout the period they were infectious: 49 cases reported yesterday have no exposure events
- Cases epidemiologically linked: 39 of today's new cases
- Cases to be epidemiologically linked: 67 of today's new cases
- Cases epidemiologically linked (total): 6,694 (810 unlinked in the last 14 days)
Contacts
- Number of active contacts being managed (total): 7,442
- Percentage who have received an outbound call from contact tracers (to confirm testing and isolation requirements): 69 pct
- Percentage who have returned at least one result: 74 pct
Tests
- Number of tests (total): 5,066,370
- Number of tests total (last 24 hours): 30,436
- Tests processed in Auckland (last 24 hours): 7,915
- Tests rolling average (last 7 days): 27,804
- Testing centres in Auckland: 15
Wastewater
- Wastewater detections: No unexpected detections
NZ COVID Tracer
- Registered users (total): 3,455,375
- Poster scans (total): 563,067,904
- Manual diary entries (total): 21,177,605
- Poster scans in 24 hours to midday yesterday: 3,473,386
Today's cases
Today, we are reporting new community cases in Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Whanganui and Canterbury.
Regional updates
We're continuing to ask anyone in New Zealand with symptoms – no matter how mild – to get tested, even if you're vaccinated. Please remain isolated until you return a negative test result.
If you are not vaccinated, now is the time, as vaccination is number one defence against COVID-19. Your DHB or local health provider will have plenty of opportunities to make this happen.
Testing and vaccination centre locations nationwide can be found on the Healthpoint website.
Northland update
Today we are reporting three new cases in Northland.
Two are close contacts of previously reported cases, based in Kaitaia, and have already been isolating.
The third case is an essential worker, based in Whangarei, who regularly travels to Auckland for work. This person's result was picked up through routine surveillance testing.
Testing and vaccination sites open in Northland can be found on the Northland DHB website.
Auckland update
Today, there are 93 new cases to report in Auckland.
Staff are now supporting 3628 people to isolate at home, including 857 cases.
Public health staff continue to assess cases' locations on a daily basis to ensure there's enough access to testing and vaccination services.
Waikato update
There are eight new cases to report in Waikato – two in Hamilton, two in Te Kūiti, three in Piopio (near Te Kūiti) and one in Huntly.
Seven have been linked to known cases and the eighth case is under investigation.
There are five testing sites operating across the region today in Hamilton, Te Kūiti, Taumarunui and Ōtorohanga.
Public health staff are now supporting 107 cases to isolate at home.
Whanganui update
Today we are reporting a new case in Whanganui.
Public health staff are continuing to investigate, but it appears the case recently travelled out of the city and is likely to have links to other cases outside the region.
The person became symptomatic on Thursday and was tested on Friday before receiving their result on Saturday.
Since the test, the person has been isolating in a dedicated community facility.
As investigations continue, a number of locations of interest have been identified. Two have already been published and more are expected on Sunday afternoon.
Whanganui DHB's testing site on hospital grounds is open for an extended period on Sunday until 3pm. You do not need an appointment.
For all the up to date testing and vaccination sites, please visit the Healthpoint website.
Canterbury
There are two new cases to report in Canterbury today - another case, reported on Saturday, has now been formally added to the tally.
Saturday's case has been clearly linked to other cases in the Nelson-Tasman area. The person got a test as soon as they learned of their contact with the infected individual. They have been isolating at home since that time.
The person's prompt actions have reduced the chances of further spread and underline the importance of getting a test immediately if you have been to a location of interest, are identified as a contact or possible contact of a case, or if you have any cold or flu-like symptoms.
The two new cases are a young child from the same household as Saturday's case and another close contact. All three were transferred to a managed isolation and quarantine (MIQ) facility on Saturday. Work on tracing close contacts of these three cases is ongoing.
The two cases were notified after the Ministry's 9am cut-off and will be added to the case tally on Monday.
Locations of interest
Several new locations of interest have been identified on Sunday so far:
