It is day four of the new year and so far the dramatic rise in COVID-19 cases some feared might happen as Auckanders headed off on holiday has not happened.
On Monday there were only 27 new cases in the country, with just 12 in Auckland. The figures may be skewed by the fact it is still a public holiday but they are still low.
So far Omicron, which has driven a fourth wave of infections across much of the world, has been kept out.
The Ministry of Health will give another update at 1pm today.
What you need to know:
- There were 31 new community cases announced on Tuesday
- Fifty-three people are in hospital, including six in ICU
- Ninety-four percent of the eligible population in New Zealand has been double vaccinated, this includes 91 percent of Pacific people and 81 percent of Māori.
- Six people linked to an Auckland brothel have tested positive for COVID-19 and everyone who visited it in late December has to self-isolate.
- Click here for all locations of interest.
These live updates have finished.
3pm - There are still seven DHBs that are yet to reach the goal of being 90 percent fully vaccinated. These are:
- Northland: 84 percent of eligible population fully vaccinated, 9300 people remaining
- Lakes: 88 percent fully vaccinated, 2178 remaining
- Bay of Plenty: 90 percent fully vaccinated, 1061 remaining (the Ministry of Health rounds percentages up to the nearest whole number)
- Tairawhiti: 86 percent fully vaccinated, 1652 remaining
- Taranaki: 89 percent fully vaccinated, 609 remaining
- Whanganui: 87 percent fully vaccinated, 1779 remaining
- West Coast: 88 percent fully vaccinated, 651 remaining.
Northland DHB is the only DHB also still to hit 90 percent first doses. It has partially vaccinated 89 percent of its eligible population, with 2370 people remaining to hit this goal.
2:20pm - From early January, New Zealanders who have had two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine for at least four months can get their booster dose.
The timing of the rollout had previously caused some confusion about when people should go and how it all works.
There's also a difference between booster doses and third primary doses.
Here's everything you need to know about New Zealand's booster vaccine rollout.
1:55pm - Over in Australia, the state of Victoria has recorded 14,020 new COVID-19 cases and two new deaths.
There are 516 people in hospital, 56 of which are in an ICU and 24 are on ventilators.
And in Queensland, it has reported 5699 new cases. There are 170 people in hospital, 11 of which are in ICU.
1:25pm -
Regional updates
Anyone in New Zealand with symptoms – no matter how mild – should get tested, even if they are 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
There are 14 new cases being reported in Auckland today.
Health and welfare providers are now supporting 1,174 people to isolate at home, including 340 cases.
Household contact of border-related case tests positive
Today we are reporting a third border-related case with the Omicron variant.
Today’s case is a household contact of the Air New Zealand crew member who tested positive last week with the Omicron variant.
The household contact has been in isolation during their symptomatic period. Public health staff are continuing to investigate however at this stage there are no locations of interest or exposure events.
The household contact has now been transferred to a MIQ facility. The second household contact, who’s also in isolation, continues to test negative.
The case is fully vaccinated.
Waikato
There is one new case in Waikato today. The case is in Waharoa and has been linked to previous cases.
Pop-up testing sites are operating in Waihi and Whitianga today. For details of all dedicated testing sites operating over the holiday period, please visit the DHB page or DHB Facebook page.
Public Health staff, primary care and manaaki providers in the region are currently supporting 56 cases to isolate at home.
Bay of Plenty
There are twelve new cases to report in Bay of Plenty today. Eleven of these cases are in Tauranga and one case in the Western Bay of Plenty district.
Of today’s cases, eight are linked to previously reported cases, and the rest are being investigated for potential links.
Lakes
There are four new cases to report in Rotorua. All cases are linked to previously reported cases.
1:17pm - MOH statement
Close to 4500 booster shots were administered yesterday (4,494), a jump of more than 1,500 on the day before.
This increase provides a timely reminder that from tomorrow (Wednesday 5 January), the interval between second doses and boosters reduces from six months to four months.
This means anyone aged 18 and over who had their second vaccination at least four months ago can have their booster dose.
COVID-19 testing also increased in the last 24 hours, with around 1,000 more tests administered than the previous day.
Omicron update
We are today reporting 29 cases identified at the border. While still awaiting whole genome sequencing of these cases, it is expected that some of these cases will be the Omicron variant.
This variant of COVID-19 continues to be having a significant impact globally, so is not unexpected to see an increase of cases identified at the border.
COVID-19 vaccine update
- Vaccines administered to date (percentage of eligible people): 3,975,528 first doses (94%); 3,856,703 second doses (92%); 29,226 third primary doses; 333,820 booster doses
- Vaccines administered yesterday: 363 first doses; 1,306 second doses; 25 third primary doses and 4,494 booster doses.
- Māori (percentage of eligible people): 500,643 first doses (88%); 462,192 second doses (81%)
- Pacific Peoples (percentage of eligible people): 271,432 first doses (95%); 259,464 second doses (91%)
Vaccination rates by DHB with active cases (percentage of eligible people)
- Northland DHB: First doses (89%); second doses (84%)
- Auckland Metro DHBs: First doses (96%); second doses (94%)
- Waikato DHB: First doses (94%); second doses (90%)
- Bay of Plenty DHB: First doses (93%); second doses (90%)
- Lakes DHB: First doses (92%); second doses (88%)
- Taranaki DHB: First doses (93%); second doses (89%)
- Tairāwhiti DHB: First doses (91%); second doses (86%)
- Hawke’s Bay DHB: First doses (95%); second doses (91%)
- Canterbury DHB: First doses (98%); second doses (95%)
Hospitalisations
Cases in hospital: 53; North Shore: 9; Auckland: 16; Middlemore: 22; Tauranga: 5 Rotorua: 1
Vaccination status of current hospitalisations (Northern Region wards only): Unvaccinated or not eligible (20 cases / 46.5%); partially immunised <7 days from second dose or have only received one dose (8 cases / 18.6%); fully vaccinated at least 7 days before being reported as a case (14 cases / 32.6%); 1 unknown (2.3%).
Average age of current hospitalisations: 53
Cases in ICU or HDU: 6 (3 in Middlemore; 3 in Tauranga)
Cases
- Seven day rolling average of community cases: 43.4
- Number of new community cases: 31
- Number of new cases identified at the border: 29
- Location of new community cases: Auckland (14), Waikato (1), Bay of Plenty (12), Lakes (4)
- Number of community cases (total): 10,985 (in current community outbreak)
- Cases epidemiologically linked (total): 8,268
- Number of active cases (total): 1,143 (cases identified in the past 21 days and not yet classified as recovered)
- Confirmed cases (total): 13,992
Contacts
- Number of active contacts being managed (total): 5,426
- Percentage who have received an outbound call from contact tracers (to confirm testing and isolation requirements): 83%
- Percentage who have returned at least one result: 78%
Tests
- Number of tests total (last 24 hours): 8,661
- Tests rolling average (last 7 days): 11,148
- Auckland tests total (last 24 hours): 3,956
Wastewater
No unexpected detections
1:07pm - The Ministry of Health is reporting a third border-related case with the Omicron variant.
The case is a household contact of the Air New Zealand crew member who tested positive last week with the Omicron variant.
The household contact has been in isolation during their symptomatic period. Public health staff are continuing to investigate however at this stage there are no locations of interest or exposure events.
The household contact has now been transferred to a MIQ facility. The second household contact, who’s also in isolation, continues to test negative.
The case is fully vaccinated.
1:00pm - There are 31 new cases of COVID-19 in the community on Tuesday. Fifty-three people are in hospital, sic in ICU and there are 29 cases at the border which are being tested to see if they are Omicron.
12:40pm - Another new variant of COVID-19 with dozens of mutations has been discovered, this time in France.
IHU, as it's been dubbed, has the N501Y mutation also found in the Alpha, Beta, Omicron and Gamma variants, which makes it more infectious, and the E484K mutation found in Gamma and Beta, which helps the virus evade people's immunity, as well as numerous other changes.
It was found in a dozen patients living in Forcalquier, southern France. The index case was a man who'd recently been to Cameroon, southern Africa, which - like much of the region - has incredibly low vaccination coverage, making it easier for variants to emerge.
Read the full story here
12:20pm - New South Wales continues to see case numbers climb with another 23,131 cases confirmed in the state on Tuesday. Two more COVID-19 deaths were also reported along with a record number of 1344 people in hospital.
11:50pm - From early January, New Zealanders who have had two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine for at least four months can get their booster dose.
If you are not sure if you are eligible or what you should do read our guide here.
11:45am - Six people linked to an Auckland brothel have tested positive for COVID-19 and everyone who visited it in late December has to self-isolate.
The Ministry of Health has listed The Pelican Club in Eden Terrace as a high-risk location - anyone who visited the venue between 12am on December 22 and 11:59pm on December 31, 2021 is asked to:
Self-isolate
Get tested on day five and day eight after you were exposed at this location of interest
Stay at home until results come back negative
11:30am - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said new restrictions were not needed because the Omicron variant was "plainly milder" than earlier forms of the coronavirus.
This comes as England and Scotland reported 157,758 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday, according to government data, while another 42 people in England died within 28 days of a positive test.
