The Ministry of Health has announced 97 new community COVID-19 cases and 11 new Omicron infections.
The ministry said as of 9am on Saturday, 39 people have tested positive for Omicron after attending the Soundsplash music festival in Hamilton last weekend.
"Given the increase in cases associated with Soundsplash, the Ministry of Health advises all attendees to get a test, if they have not already done so. If you attended the festival, please let the testing centre know that you were at the festival," the ministry said.
The 11 new confirmed Omicron cases takes the total number of infections of the new variant to 116 in the community.
Of the 97 new community cases, 61 are in Auckland, 14 in Waikato, three in Tairawhiti, eight in Bay of Plenty, seven in Lakes, three in Hawke's Bay and one in Northland.
There are active cases being treated as Omicron in Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Taranaki, MidCentral, Canterbury, Tairāwhiti and Nelson-Tasman.
The ministry says the number of cases and contacts are expected to grow given the highly transmissible nature of Omicron and as we learn more from case interviews.
They ask everyone in New Zealand to act like Omicron is circulating in their community.
"That means wearing a mask in indoor settings with people you don’t know, physical distancing, washing hands regularly and scanning in using the COVID-19 Tracer app, when you’re out and about."
The ministry also announced that there are seven people in hospital with none in ICU or HDU.
There are 58 new cases had been confirmed at the border. All are in MIQ facilities in Auckland, bar seven in MIQ in Christchurch and two in MIQ in Wellington.
The ministry announced there has been positive COVID-19 wastewater detections taken on the 26-27 January from Dannevirke, Kerikeri, Pukekohe, Paihia and Rawene.
Three people have tested positive for COVID-19 in a ship that arrived in the Bay of Plenty port on Friday morning.
Some of the 25 crew had experienced COVID-like illness and testing returned three positive results in the 24 hour period to midnight on Friday.
No one has been allowed off the ship and is due to leave port on Sunday.
What you need to know:
- Eleven new cases of the Omicron variant were reported on Saturday, bringing the total to 116
- There were 97 new cases on Saturday - Auckland (61), Waikato (14), Bay of Plenty (8), Lakes (7), Tairawhiti (3), Hawke's Bay (3) and Northland (1).
- Thirty-nine people have tested positive for Omicron after attending Soundsplash Festival in Hamilton last weekend
- The ministry said on Saturday that there are seven people in hospital - two in North Shore Hospital, two in Middlemore Hospital, two in Rotorua Hospital and one in Auckland Hospital - none are in ICU or HDU.
- There has been a positive COVID-19 wastewater detections taken on the 26-27 January from Dannevirke, Kerikeri, Pukekohe, Paihia and Rawene.
- Three people have tested positive for COVID-19 in a ship that arrived in the Bay of Plenty port on Friday morning. No one has been allowed off the ship and is due to leave port Sunday.
These live updates are now over.
2:26pm - In Australia, Queensland has announced 10,391 new COVID-19 cases and 12 deaths in the last 24 hours.
Queensland Health announced that there are 833 people in hospital with COVID-19 and 53 in ICU.
The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) has announced 620 new COVID-19 cases with no deaths linked to COVID-19 in the last 24 hours.
There are currently 61 people in hospital with five in ICU.
ACT has only had 26 people die from COVID-19 since March 2020.
2:20pm - The Ministry of Health has announced one new location of interest at 2pm.
The location is:
- Mokoia Community Swabbing Centre at Mokoia Intermediate Owhata in Rotorua - Sunday 23 January from 9:30am to 3:30pm
The ministry asks any at the community swabbing centre to self-monitor for COVID-19 symptoms for 10 days after you were exposed. If symptoms develop, get a test and stay at home until you get a negative test result.
For the relevant dates, times and public health advice - and updates to existing locations of interest - click here.
1:46pm - Here are today's regional updates from the Ministry of Health:
The ministry are reporting new community cases in Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Lakes, Tairawhiti and Hawke’s Bay.
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. We are also asking people to regularly check the locations of interest as these are regularly updated and to follow the advice provided.
Testing and vaccination centre locations nationwide can be found on the Healthpoint website.
Please also continue to check for any updated Locations of Interest and appropriate health advice, updated regularly on the Ministry’s website.
Northland
Today we are reporting four new cases in Northland. Three of these came in after the cut off time and will be reported in tomorrow’s figures.
Three of the cases are in Whangārei and one case is in Kerikeri. All four cases are isolating at home.
Two cases are linked to the Soundsplash Festival in Hamilton. Whole genome sequencing will be carried out on these cases but in the meantime, Northland public health staff are treating them as if they are Omicron.
Three new locations of interest in Whangārei have been added to the Ministry’s website. Please check the time and date for these and follow corresponding public health advice.
Auckland
There are 61 cases to report in Auckland today.
Health and welfare providers are now supporting 769 people in the region to isolate at home, including 242 cases.
Waikato
There are 14 new cases in the Waikato today.
Of these, ten have been linked to previous cases and four remain under investigation for links.
Public Health staff, primary care and manaaki providers in Waikato are supporting 32 cases to isolate at home.
Lakes
We are reporting seven new cases in the Lakes DHB area today – all in Rotorua.
Six are contacts of previously reported cases and the remaining case is currently being investigated.
Bay of Plenty
We are reporting eight new COVID-19 cases in the Bay of Plenty today.
This includes three cases onboard the Singapore-flagged Maersk Bogor container ship, which is currently under quarantine at the Port of Tauranga.
The ship arrived in port on Friday morning. Some of the 25 crew had experienced COVOD-like illness. Testing returned three positive results in the 24 hour period to midnight last night.
No one has been allowed off the ship. Testing was carried out following strict Infection, Prevention and Control guidelines.
The vessel has been managed by the Port to ensure that the risk from crew has been effectively managed.
The ship is due to leave port tomorrow.
The five remaining cases are in the Western Bay of Plenty, including one in Katikati. There are two cases in Katikati. Public health staff are awaiting the results of whole genome sequencing, but in the meantime, the cases are being treated as though they’re Omicron.
Increased testing has been made available at the Katikati medical centre. Please check the Healthpoint website for further testing details.
Tairāwhiti
There are three new cases to report in Tairāwhiti today. All are connected to the Soundsplash Festival in Hamilton.
Whole genome sequencing will be carried out on these cases but in the meantime, these cases are being treated as though they are Omicron.
Hawke’s Bay
Today we are reporting three new cases of COVID-19 in Hawke’s Bay.
One of these is the case we first announced yesterday and links to the Soundsplash festival have been established. It is being treated as an Omicron case.
Investigations are continuing to determine other links for the remaining cases.
1:45pm - Here is the latest data from the Ministry of Health on the outbreak and vaccination campaign:
COVID-19 vaccine update
- Vaccines administered to date (percentage of eligible people): 4,039,660 first doses (96%); 3,959,574 second doses (94%); 1,257,758 booster doses
- Vaccines administered yesterday: 1,251 first doses; 2,212 second doses; 12,860 paediatric doses; 46,271 booster doses.
- Māori (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 511,802 first doses (90%); 484,587 second doses (85%).
- Pacific Peoples (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 276,876 first doses (97%); 268,665 second doses (94%).
- Paediatric vaccines administered to date (percentage of 5-11-year-olds): 150,207 first doses (32%)
- Māori (percentage of eligible people aged 5-11): 19,440 first doses (17%)
- Pacific Peoples (percentage of eligible people aged 5-11): 10,458 first doses (21%)
Vaccination rates for all DHBs (percentage of eligible people aged 12 +)
- Northland DHB: First doses (90%); second doses (87%)
- Auckland Metro DHBs: First doses (97%); second doses (95%)
- Waikato DHB: First doses (95%); second doses (92%)
- Bay of Plenty DHB: First doses (95%); second doses (92%)
- Lakes DHB: First doses (93%); second doses (90%)
- MidCentral DHB: First doses (96%); second doses (94%)
- Tairawhiti DHB: First doses (93%); second doses (89%)
- Whanganui DHB: First doses (92%); second doses (89%)
- Hawke’s Bay: First doses (96%); second doses (93%)
- Taranaki DHB: First doses (94%); second doses (92%)
- Wairarapa DHB: First doses (96%); second doses (94%)
- Capital and Coast DHB: First doses (98%); second doses (97%)
- Hutt Valley DHB: First doses (97%); second doses (95%)
- Nelson Marlborough DHB: First doses (96%); second doses (94%)
- West Coast DHB: First doses (93%); second doses (90%)
- Canterbury DHB: First doses (99%); second doses (97%)
- South Canterbury DHB: First doses (95%); second doses (93%)
- Southern DHB: First doses (97%); second doses (96%)
Hospitalisations
- Cases in hospital: 7; North Shore: 2; Middlemore: 2; Auckland: 1; Rotorua: 2
- Average age of current hospitalisations: 52
- Cases in ICU or HDU: Zero
As the number of total hospitalised cases in the Northern Region is currently below five, we have removed the vaccination status for hospitalisations, for privacy reasons.
Cases
- Seven day rolling average of community cases: 48
- Seven day rolling average of border cases: 44
- Number of new community cases: 97
- Number of new cases identified at the border: 58
- *Location of new community cases: Northland (1), Auckland (61), Waikato (14), Tairawhiti (3), Bay of Plenty (8), Lakes (7), Hawke’s Bay (3)
- Number of community cases (total): 11,811 (in current community outbreaks)
- Cases epidemiologically linked (total): 8,972
- Number of active cases (total): 630 (cases identified in the past 21 days and not yet classified as recovered)
- Confirmed cases (total): 15,770
Contacts
- Number of active contacts being managed (total): 6,923
- Percentage who has received an outbound call from contact tracers (to confirm testing and isolation requirements): 69%
- Percentage who has returned at least one result: 68%
Tests
- Number of tests total (last 24 hours): 22,727
- Tests rolling average (last 7 days): 18,712
- Auckland tests total (last 24 hours): 10,847
Wastewater
ESR has advised COVID-19 was detected in samples taken on the 26 and 27 January from Dannevirke, Kerikeri, Pukekohe, Paihia and Rawene.
There was also continued detection in samples taken over the same days from Ahipara, Kawakawa Bay, Hamilton, Tauranga, Rotorua, Te Maunga (Mt Maunganui), Te Puke, Te Awamutu, Porirua, Moa Point in Wellington and Motueka.
NZ COVID Tracer
- Poster scans in the 24 hours to midday yesterday: 2,751,957
- Manual diary entries in the 24 hours to midday: 49,275
My Vaccine Pass
- My vaccine pass downloads total: 4,972,988
- My vaccine pass downloads (last 24 hours): 14,085
1:44pm - Here is an update from the ministry on the Omicron outbreak:
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.
To date, 116 community cases of COVID-19 have either been confirmed by Whole Genome Sequencing as the Omicron variant or have been linked to a previously reported Omicron case.
Some of these additional cases have previously been reported as COVID-19 cases and linked retrospectively either through whole genome sequencing or epidemiologically.
As of 9am this morning, there has been 39 cases connected to the Soundsplash music festival in Hamilton last weekend. However, this number will grow as further test results are received.
Given the increase in cases associated with Soundsplash, the Ministry of Health advises all attendees to get a test, if they have not already done so. If you attended the festival, please let the testing centre know that you were at the festival.
Two of the four community cases in Canterbury reported earlier in the week have now been determined to be Omicron.
There are active cases being treated as Omicron in Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Taranaki, MidCentral, Canterbury, Tairāwhiti and Nelson-Tasman.
The number of cases and contacts are expected to grow given the highly transmissible nature of Omicron and as we learn more from case interviews.
We’re asking everyone in New Zealand to act like Omicron is circulating in their community.
That means wearing a mask in indoor settings with people you don’t know, physical distancing, washing hands regularly and scanning in using the COVID-19 Tracer app, when you’re out and about.
Anyone with any cold or flu symptoms that could be COVID-19 is asked to get a test and isolate at home until a negative result is returned.
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.
1:42pm - The Ministry of Health has announced 97 new community COVID-19 cases and 11 new Omicron infections.
Of the 97 new community cases, 61 are in Auckland, 14 in Waikato, eight in Bay of Plenty, seven in Lakes, three in Tairawhiti, three in Hawke's Bay and one in Northland.
The 11 new confirmed Omicron cases takes the total number of infections of the new variant to 116 in the community.
The ministry announced that there are seven people in hospital with none in ICU or HDU.
1:12pm - While we wait for the ministry to announce Saturday's COVID-19 case numbers very shortly, the Ministry of Health has announced 6 new locations of interest with three of them being high risk.
The close contact location of interest are:
- Learning Network NZ Henderson - Thursday, 27 January from 8:45am to 1pm
- Fullers Waiheke Island Ferry Downtown Ferry Terminal Auckland - Sunday, 23 January from 1:10pm to 1:45pm
- Private Event New Zealand Sikh Society Temple Te Rapa Hamilton - Saturday, 22 January from 1pm to 4pm
The ministry says anyone who was at the Sushi restaurant at the exposure time must self-isolate, test immediately and on day 5 after you were exposed at this location of interest. Further isolation and testing requirements will be provided by Public Health.
The other locations of interest announced at 1pm are:
- Alfie’s Cafe Rototuna Hamilton - Thursday, 20 January from 12:39pm to 1:09pm
- Nelson Airport Nelson - Sunday, 23 January from 9:30pm to 10pm and Tuesday 18 January from 5pm to 5:50pm
For the relevant dates, times and public health advice - and updates to existing locations of interest - click here.
12:30pm - As usual, the Ministry of Health will release its daily statement with the latest updates on the COVID-19 outbreak at around 1pm.
Stay tuned as we will publish the newest developments live as soon as the statement is available.
12:12pm - The Ministry of Health has announced five new locations of interest including one close contact location in Auckland.
The close contact location of interest is:
- Sushi Tomi Milford Auckland - Thursday, 20 January from 2:18pm to 3:18pm
The ministry says anyone who was at the Sushi restaurant at the exposure time must self-isolate, test immediately and on day 5 after you were exposed at this location of interest. Further isolation and testing requirements will be provided by Public Health.
The other locations of interest announced at 12pm are:
- Unichem The Mall Pharmacy Rotorua Central - Saturday, January 22 from 10:36am to 11:06am
- Fullers Waiheke Island Ferry Waiheke Island Auckland - Tuesday, 25 January from 12pm to 12:35pm
- Chemist Warehouse Bethlehem - Monday, 24 January from 11:03am to 11:30am
- Indian Bar & Eatery Papakura - Saturday, 23 January from 8:30pm to 9:30pm
For the relevant dates, times and public health advice - and updates to existing locations of interest - click here.
12:02pm - The University of Otago has announced orientation events have been cancelled because of New Zealand being at red in the COVID-19 Protection Framework.
In a Facebook post on Friday, Otago University Students' Association, cancelled the large events planned for February.
"Planning is underway for ORI '22 events in line with Government guidelines, under the appropriate Covid-19 Traffic Light setting. Keep watching for all updated information," the association said in a post on social media.
At red light restrictions, gatherings are limited to 100 people with vaccine passes.
The student association said all tickets will be refunded in the coming days.
11:55am - University of Otago infectious diseases expert Kurt Krause answers questions about the best ways to minimise the risk of catching Omicron.
Prof Krause says nobody wants to get sick, but the good news is that if you are under 65, vaccinated and boosted, without risk factors, then generally the odds of getting a serious illness from Omicron is low, "and much more similar to say the odds of getting sick from the seasonal flu".
Read the full story here.
11:22am - Over in Victoria, it has been announced that there are 12,250 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours.
Victoria Health announced on Saturday that 31 people lost their life to COVID-19 while 953 people are in hospital with 39 people on a ventilator.
11:12am - Over in Australia, New South Wales has recorded its most deadly day of the COVID-19 pandemic with 49 deaths in the past 24 hours.
NSW Health announced on Saturday that there were 13,354 positive COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours.
There are 2,693 people in hospital with COVID-19 and 186 people on ICU or HDU.
The amount of people in hospital has slightly dropped from 2,737 to 2,693.
10:50am - The rector of Lindisfarne College in Hastings has confirmed that a student has tested positive for COVID-19 after attending the Soundsplash festival in Hamilton.
Stuff is reporting that rector Stuart Hakeney confirmed the positive case in an email sent to caregivers and students on Friday night.
"I am now advising you that one of our students who attended the festival has tested positive for Covid-19," Hakeney said.
The ministry have provided an update on what students should do if they attended the festival.
"All students at Lindisfarne College who attended the Soundsplash music festival last weekend must begin self-isolating immediately and get a COVIDS-19 test as soon as possible.
"They must only leave self-isolation to get a test and remain in self-isolation until they receive a negative test result."
10:45am - A pregnant Kiwi journalist has been forced to ask the Taliban for refuge after being denied a MIQ spot.
Charlotte Bellis, who had been reporting on Afghanistan for Al Jazeera, discovered she was pregnant in September while in Qatar, where Al Jazeera's headquarters are.
This set off a chain of events that saw her go to her partner's home country, Belgium, but since she wasn't legally able to stay there and without a MIQ spot, she had nowhere else legally to go except Afghanistan.
Read the full story here.
10:28am - The Ministry of Health has announced two new close contact locations of interest at 10am.
The ministry is asking anyone who was at either of the two venues at the exposure time to self-isolate, test immediately and on day 5 after you were exposed at this location of interest.
The two locations are:
- Private Event Gurudwara Mata Sahib Kaur Ji Temple Te Rapa - Saturday, January 22 from 1pm to 4pm.
- One3One Restaurant Cafe & Bar Paeroa - Monday, January 24 from 6:16pm to 8pm.
For all the locations of interest and advice from the Ministry of Health click here.
10:23am - Kia ora, good morning, and welcome to Newshub's live coverage of the COVID-19 Omicron outbreak for Saturday, January 29.
