The record surge in COVID-19 cases is causing ambulance delays.
St John Ambulance is seeing an unprecedented increase in demand due to the virus, with one patient having to wait more than 12 hours.
There's been a 10 percent increase in St John calls nationwide and in Auckland it's even worse.
St John clinical director Dr Tony Smith says he's never seen anything like it.
"Workload has gone up by over 20 percent and we're now seeing record numbers of Aucklanders needing an ambulance," he says.
"We are experiencing the highest number of calls and the highest number of incidents requiring an ambulance response that I have seen in the 24 years that I have been with St John."
Coupled with a reduction in staff due to COVID and vacancies, it's causing delays.
People in a serious but not life-threatening condition are regularly having to wait over an hour.
"The longest delay we've seen in Auckland, and this was for a non-life-threatening condition, over the last couple of days was over 12 hours," Dr Smith says.
It comes as daily case numbers soar - almost doubling in a day - to 6137 and it's reaching those who are most vulnerable.
An outbreak at the Bupa Rossendale Care Home in Hamilton is causing concern after 19 staff and 21 residents tested positive for COVID.
One worker, who didn't want to be identified, told Newshub they're under such pressure that residents are being left soiled in their beds.
"Because we are so short-staffed we're asked to concentrate on medication and meals and fluids," they say.
"If they are saturated and have faeces we do that when we have time.
"They're left there for up to five hours. It is very upsetting, we love and care for them and we want to do our best."
The Aged Care Association says it's symptomatic of a wider issue in aged care.
"We're over 1000 nurses short in a sector that has 5000 nurses so 20 percent down on our nursing workforce is a chronic situation," says chief executive Simon Wallace.
Bupa says it's brought in extra help, including support staff from Waikato DHB.
They say it takes all allegations of poor care extremely seriously, and that they have very clear expectations and standards that they will be reinforcing.
