The Ministry of Health has announced 24 new community cases, 56 new border infections of COVID-19 while a triple vaccinated Auckland Airport worker has tested positive.
The Auckland airport worker, who is double vaccinated and has had a booster dose, tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday.
The ministry is expecting whole genome sequencing to return on Wednesday afternoon but they said, "from an abundance of caution, the case is currently being managed as an Omicron case".
This person was infectious from the 15 January, however they were not at work while infectious. The case has one household contact who has returned an initial negative test result.
What you need to know:
- An Auckland MIQ worker tested positive for the highly infectious Omicron variant on Sunday
- A number of high-risk locations of interest have been identified in Auckland
- The worker is deemed to have been infectious from Monday, January 10
- Of the worker's 86 close contacts, 75 have returned negative results - one symptomatic household contact has tested positive but was already isolating
- Twenty-four new community cases of COVID-19 have been recorded on Wednesday - 14 in Auckland, five in Lakes and one in Wellington, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Hawke's Bay and the Hutt Valley - as well as 56 infections at the border
- Twenty-four people are in hospital with COVID-19, two of whom are in the ICU
- Close to half-a-million tamariki aged five to 11 are now eligible to receive a special paediatric dose of the COVID-19 vaccine - 13,028 children had their first dose on Tuesday.
- An Arthurs Point motel in Queenstown has been identified as a high-risk location of interest.
These live updates have finished.
3pm - Hipkins says he isn't going to rule in or out a change to level green for any region before talking with Cabinet.
2:58pm - He says there's "no question" Omicron will make it into the community and encourages people to get their booster vaccine to help prepare themselves for its arrival.
2:56pm - A discussion on planning for Omicron when it does make its way into the community has been happening and Cabinet is going to talk about it further this afternoon, Hipkins says.
He says he doesn't want to get ahead of any announcements on potential changes to the traffic light system and plans for Omicron.
2:54pm - Hipkins says people would prefer certainty on when they can arrive back in New Zealand and he will make an announcement on when people can book MIQ rooms soon.
He adds that New Zealand will be moving to a self-isolation model over using MIQ.
2:50pm - Hipkins has arrived.
Hipkins says the MIQ room release announcement was made on Twitter because they wanted to get the information out as soon as they could.
He says MIQ is currently "very full" and New Zealand is dealing with far more cases at the border than it used to. Therefore, there are more cases going into quarantine and that is filling up.
2:35pm - We are about 10 minutes away from a press conference with COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins.
He is set to answer questions about postponing the release of MIQ rooms.
You'll be able to watch the press conference in the video player above. Try refreshing this page if you can't see it, or click here if you're using the app.
2:25pm - Over in Australia, New South Wales has recorded 32,297 new cases and 32 deaths in the past 24 hours.
There are 2863 people in hospital, 217 of whom are in ICU.
There are 20,769 new cases in Victoria and 18 deaths.
There are 253,827 active cases.
And in Queensland, there are 19,932 new cases and 11 deaths.
There are 835 people in hospitals, 52 of which are in ICU.
2:05pm - There are two new locations of interest. They are:
- Baywave TECT Aquatic & Leisure Centre Mount Maunganui, January 14 from 3pm to 6pm
- Archie Brothers Cirque Electriq Newmarket, January 15 from 7pm to 9:30pm.
1:35pm - Here is a regional update about all the cases announced on Wednesday by the Ministry of Health.
Here's the full update:
We are reporting new community cases in Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Lakes, Bay of Plenty, Hawke’s Bay and Wellington.
We are also announcing new cases in Hawke’s Bay and Canterbury which were notified after the Ministry’s reporting deadline. They will be formally added to the tally tomorrow.
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.
Please also continue to check for any updated Locations of Interest and appropriate health advice, updated regularly at Contact tracing locations of interest.
Northland
There is one case in Kaikohe, Northland.
The case is a close contact of a previously reported case and was already isolating when they tested positive.
Auckland
There are 14 cases to report in Auckland.
Health and welfare providers are now supporting 865 people in the region to isolate at home, including 140 cases.
Waikato
There is one new case in the Waikato. The case is in Hamilton and is being investigated for a link to a previously reported case.
Pop-up testing sites are operating Ōtorohanga,Te Kūiti, Ngāruawāhia, Morrinsville, Huntly, Taumarunui, Tokoroa, Putāruru and Hamilton today. For details of all dedicated testing sites including other general practices, visit Healthpoint, the Waikato DHB website or the DHB Facebook page.
There were 1186 tests processed in Waikato yesterday and 4899 vaccinations given.
In the Waikato, Public Health, primary care and manaaki providers are supporting 19 cases to isolate at home.
Lakes
There are five new cases to report in the Lakes DHB region today, all in the Rotorua District.
Four of today’s cases are linked to previously reported cases, one case is still being investigated to determine any links.
All cases are isolating at home or in managed accommodation.
Bay of Plenty
There is one new case to report in Tauranga today, investigations are ongoing to determine a link to any known cases.
The case is isolating at home.
Hawke’s Bay
The Ministry of Health can confirm a further two COVID-19 positive tests have been returned for Hastings residents, taking the total number of active cases in the region to four.
One of these cases was notified after the daily reporting cut-off and will be included in tomorrow’s official case figures.
Both cases are linked to a location of interest previously reported at Tu Step Fitness Class at the Ascende Global Church, Hastings.
The cases were already isolating when they tested positive, with health and welfare support.
Public health officials are continuing to investigate the cases’ movement and contacting any close contact.
Any new locations of interest associated with these cases will be published at Contact tracing locations of interest.
Wellington
There is one case to report in Hutt Valley today.
The case is a contact of a previously reported cases and was already isolating when they tested positive.
The Wellington region has 12 active cases.
Canterbury
Today we are announcing a new case in Canterbury.
This case is linked to a previously reported case and was already isolating at home when they tested positive.
This case was notified after the daily reporting cut-off and will be included in tomorrow’s official case figures.
1:33pm - Here's the latest data on the COVID-19 outbreak and vaccination campaign:
COVID-19 vaccine updae
- Vaccines administered to date (percentage of eligible people): 3,991,612 first doses (95%); 3,901,726 second doses (93%); 36,029 third primary doses; 828,215 booster doses
- Vaccines administered yesterday: 1,222 first doses; 2,318 second doses; 579 third primary doses and 38,606 booster doses.
- Māori (percentage of eligible people): 507,347 first doses (89%); 477,447 second doses (84%).
- Pacific Peoples (percentage of eligible people): 274,821 first doses (96%); 265,700 second doses (93%).
Vaccination rates by DHB with active cases (percentage of eligible people)
- Northland DHB: First doses (89%); second doses (86%)
- Auckland Metro DHBs: First doses (97%); second doses (95%)
- Waikato DHB: First doses (94%); second doses (92%)
- Bay of Plenty DHB: First doses (94%); second doses (91%)
- Lakes DHB: First doses (93%); second doses (89%)
- Hawke’s Bay DHB: First doses (96%); second doses (93%)
- Wairarapa DHB: First doses (96%); second doses (93%)
- Capital and Coast DHB: First doses (98%); second doses (97%)
- Hutt Valley DHB: First doses (96%); second doses (94%)
- Canterbury DHB: First doses (99%); second doses (97%)
Hospitalisations
- Cases in hospital: 24; North Shore: 6; Auckland: 11; Middlemore: 6; Tauranga: 1.
- Vaccination status of current hospitalisations (Northern Region wards only): Unvaccinated or not eligible (8 cases / 38%); partially immunised <7 days from second dose or have only received one dose (3 case / 14%); fully vaccinated at least 7 days before being reported as a case (9 cases / 43%); unknown (1 case / 5%).
- Average age of current hospitalisations: 57
- Cases in ICU or HDU: 2; Middlemore: 1; Tauranga: 1
Cases
- Seven day rolling average of community cases: 21
- Seven day rolling average of border cases: 35
- Number of new community cases: 24
- Number of new cases identified at the border: 56
- Location of new community cases: Northland (1), Auckland (14), Waikato (1), Lakes (5), Bay of Plenty (1), Hawke’s Bay (1), Hutt Valley (1).
- Number of community cases (total): 11,360 (in current community outbreak)
- Cases epidemiologically linked (total): 8655
- Number of active cases (total): 507 (cases identified in the past 21 days and not yet classified as recovered)
- Confirmed cases (total): 14,874
Contacts
- Number of active contacts being managed (total): 4,813
- Percentage who has received an outbound call from contact tracers (to confirm testing and isolation requirements): 79%
- Percentage who has returned at least one result: 79%
Tests
- Number of tests total (last 24 hours): 16,823
- Tests rolling average (last 7 days): 13,956
- Auckland tests total (last 24 hours): 8,756
Wastewater
No unexpected results.
NZ COVID Tracer
- Poster scans in the 24 hours to midday yesterday: 2,352,443
- Manual diary entries in the 24 hours to midday: 43,010
My Vaccine Pass
- My vaccine pass downloads total: 4,831,138
- My vaccine pass downloads (last 24 hours): 13,709
1:31pm - The ministry has said there are 370 Omicron COVID-19 cases detected at the border since 1 December, and 32 cases of the Delta variant.
There are also 203 COVID-19 cases caught at the border that are still undergoing Whole Genome Sequencing. The expectation is that the vast majority will be the Omicron variant.
During the same period, more than 18,000 people have arrived at Managed Isolation and Quarantine facilities.
1:30pm - The ministry said 13,028 child (paediatric) vaccine first doses were administered to 5 to 11-year-olds throughout New Zealand on Tuesday.
They said nearly 30,000 children in this age group in New Zealand now have greater protection against COVID-19.
"We want to thank children, and the caregivers who supported them, who got their first dose yesterday. We encourage everyone who is eligible to get vaccinated," the ministry said.
"New Zealand’s vaccine rollout remains our key defence against all variants of COVID-19, including Omicron."
On Tuesday, 38,606 boosters were administered, bringing the total to 828,215, which is 51 percent of those who are ow due their booster.
Metropolitan Auckland is only 11 second doses short of double vaccinating Pacific people in the region, and should achieve this milestone today. This is an achievement worth celebrating and a testament to the efforts of health providers throughout the region’s communities.
1:27pm - The Ministry has announced Auckland airport worker has tested positive for COVID-19.
The worker, who is double vaccinated and has had a booster dose, tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday (18 January). Whole genome sequencing for this case will be returned on Wednesday however from an abundance of caution, the case is currently being managed as an Omicron case.
This person was infectious from the 15 January, however they were not at work while infectious. The case has one household contact who has returned an initial negative test result.
The first of the locations of interest associated with this case are being published on the Ministry of Health website.
1:22pm - The Ministry of Health has announced 24 new community cases on Wednesday.
Of the 24 new cases, 14 are in Auckland, five in Lakes, one in Northland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Hawke’s Bay and the Hutt Valley (1).
Update on the MIQ worker in Auckland
The ministry has provided an update on the Omicron-positive MIQ worker in Auckland.
The border worker’s household contact who returned a positive test yesterday is isolating at home.
Two other household contacts are symptomatic but returned negative tests yesterday.
The border worker’s co-worker who is symptomatic remains in MIQ and has returned a further negative test.
A further 15 contacts amongst the Stamford Plaza Managed Isolation staff are currently isolating at home as contacts of the border case and their co-worker.
The border worker’s whole genome sequencing links them to a person who arrived in New Zealand on a flight that landed on 8 January and tested positive on Day 1 (January 9) of their stay at the Stamford Plaza and was transferred to MIQ on 10 January.
As of this morning, a total of 84 contacts have been identified in relation to the MIQ border worker. At this stage, 79 have returned negative test results and one household contact has returned a positive result, who was reported yesterday. The number of contacts can fluctuate as further investigation rules them out.
Of the contacts identified in relation to the two bus journeys, there are four contacts yet to be reached. Two of these contacts have returned a negative test from following advice on the Locations of Interest web page or advice from a mobile phone notification. While these exposure events are a low public health risk, further efforts to reach all outstanding contacts are being made.
12:54pm - COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said pausing the MIQ lobby is a "temporary" position.
Hipkins will hold a press conference at 2:45pm in New Plymouth to talk about the decision.
"Pausing the next MIQ lobby is a temporary position while MIQ is under extreme pressure from New Zealanders returning with Omicron," Hipkins said. "It recognises how easily Omicron spreads, despite the extra layers of protection put in place in MIQs, and will help protect New Zealanders.
"No decisions have been made on the date, sequence and conditions for the border reopening and Cabinet will consider options within the next couple of weeks based on the most up to date advice.
"Until then, we are not in a position to release more MIQ rooms. In the meantime, our focus will be on getting booster rates up and immunising as many 5-11 year-olds as possible before Omicron takes hold in the community.
"There are no easy calls when managing COVID-19 and the Government recognises that while this is temporary, it will be disruptive and stressful for a number of people."
12:50pm - We're standing by for the latest COVID-19 update from the Ministry of Health due in at around 1pm.
12:35pm - Here's a recap of Tuesday's key developments as we wait for the latest data to be released by the Ministry of Health at 1pm:
- A symptomatic household contact of the worker has tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday. Of the case's 86 close contacts identified, 75 had returned negative results.
- Thirty people were in hospital with COVID-19, two of whom were in the ICU.
- Thirty new arrivals had tested positive for COVID-19 at the border.
- There were 14 new community cases of COVID-19 to report on Tuesday - seven in Auckland, six in Lakes and one in Wellington.
- The six new cases in the Lakes DHB region were all in the Rotorua District - all were linked to previously reported cases.
- The new case in Wellington was of a known contact of an existing case in the area. There are no locations of interest associated with this case.
- An Arthurs Point motel in Queenstown has been identified as a high-risk location of interest.
12:21pm - COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins has acknowledged that postponing the release of managed isolation and quarantine (MIQ) rooms is "disruptive and stressful" but necessary.
Chris Bunny, the head of MIQ, issued a statement on Tuesday to announce that due to an "unprecedented" number of Omicron cases coming into New Zealand, the decision was made to postpone the next room release scheduled for Thursday.
"We appreciate that this will be disappointing for many people wanting to come back to New Zealand," Bunny said, but there had been a "10-fold increase in positive COVID-19 cases at the border compared to December" which had put MIQ under pressure.
Read the full story here.
12pm - A prominent anti-vaxxer and former political candidate was caught on camera being tasered and arrested in Northland on Monday after allegedly refusing to wear a mask at a liquor store.
Former Social Credit candidate Brad Flutey was filmed outside Whangārei's Paramount Plaza shopping mall on Monday after visiting Liquorland Tikipunga.
"It was reported to police the man was being abusive towards staff and other members of the public," Acting Inspector Darren Sullivan from Whangārei Police told Newshub.
"Our staff attempted to speak with the man, however he continued to be aggressive towards them."
Read the full story and watch the video here.
11:32am - The Ministry of Health has five new locations of interest on Wednesday.
- Baywave TECT Aquatic & Leisure Centre Mount Maunganui - Friday 14 January 2:30pm - 6:30pm
- Ruck 'n Maul Sports Bar and Grill Rotorua - Monday 10 January 1:08pm - 2:08pm
- Nandos Albany - Tuesday 11 January 11:30am - 5pm, Wednesday 12 January 10am - 4pm and Thursday 13 January 12:30pm - 10:30 pm
11:25am - Hawke's Bay District Health Board has announced a further two positive cases in Hastings.
The two new cases take the total in the region to four.
The Ministry of Health will announce one of the cases in its 1pm press release of the daily numbers and the second case will be included in Thursday's numbers as it missed the daily reporting cut-off.
Both cases are linked to locations of interest previously reported at Tu Step Fitness Class at the Ascende Global Church, Hastings.
Hawke's Bay DHB's Medical Officer of Health Dr Rachel Eyre said the cases had been isolating and had appropriate health and welfare supports in place.
"Public health officials are continuing investigations and are in the process of informing any other close contacts to isolate and be tested.
"As standard procedure, any locations of interest, where contacts cannot be contacted directly, will be added to the Ministry of Health's webpage if and when they are confirmed."
Dr Eyre said it was crucial anyone with cold or flu symptoms, no matter how mild, got tested for COVID-19, even if they were vaccinated.
"People with symptoms need to get tested so we can avoid any potential community spread."
Dr Eyre said vaccination was the best protection against COVID-19. Additionally, people eligible for their booster vaccination should get this done for an added layer of protection.
"People vaccinated against COVID-19 are far less likely to need hospital care if they get the virus."
Drive-in testing centres and booked appointments are available and include:
Wednesday 19 January:
- Splash Planet Hastings drive through 10am -1pm
- Whitmore Park Napier drive through 10am - 1pm
- CHB Health Centre drive through 9am - 4pm
- Totara Health drive through 10am - 1pm
Thursday 20 January:
- Totara Health drive through 10am - 1pm
- Splash planet Hastings drive through 10am -1pm
- CHB Health Centre drive through 9am - 4pm
Friday 21 January:
- Splash Planet Hastings drive through 10am -1pm
- Whitmore Park Napier drive through 10am - 1pm
- CHB Health Centre drive through 9am - 4pm
To book a test:
- Hastings Health Centre. For booked appointments call 06 281 2644 to book between 8.30am - 5pm Monday - Saturday
- The Doctors Napier. For booked appointments call 0800 837 819 to book between 9am - 5pm daily
- Takapau Health Centre. For booked appointments between Monday - Wednesday and Friday 11-30am -12pm call 06 855 8376
- Queen Street Practice Wairoa. For booked appointments daily call 06 838 8333.
11:23am - Kia ora, good morning, and welcome to Newshub's live COVID-19 coverage for Wednesday, January 19.
