The Government has announced it is reducing the interval between second doses of the vaccine and the booster shot to three months from Friday. It was four months.
That means a million more Kiwis over 18 will be eligible for their booster from this Friday, COVID-19 Minister Chris Hipkins said in a statement.
The Ministry of Health reported 142 new community cases on Wednesday.
What you need to know:
- There are 142 new community cases in New Zealand of any variant on Wednesday - Northland (11), Auckland (103), Waikato (12), Lakes (2), Bay of Plenty (5), Taranaki (3), Hawke’s Bay (1), Nelson Marlborough (2), Canterbury (3).
- There are six people in hospital: one in North Shore, three in Middlemore, one in Auckland City, and one in Waikato.
- The interval between the second dose of the vaccine and the booster is being shortened to three months, rather than four months
- The Prime Minister returned a negative COVID-19 test result this week after going into isolation on Saturday night following potential exposure on a flight.
- COVID modeller Dr Dion O'Neale told Newshub daily cases could jump to as high as 500 this week.
These live updates have finished.
6:15pm - There are two new locations of interest. They are:
- Pelorus Bridge Café, Nelson, January 27 from 12:15pm to 12:35pm
- Denny's Porirua, January 31 from 9:15am to 10:50am.
5:30pm - Canterbury Police have further extended the amnesty period for fake COVID vaccine passes to be handed it in to Police.
During an amnesty period between Wednesday January 26 and Tuesday February 1, Rangiora Police had seven allegedly forged COVID vaccine passes handed into the station.
Rangiora Police say they appreciate all those who brought in their passes during this time.
"To give the public more time to hand in any other vaccine passes believed to be forged they may have, Police are extending the amnesty until Tuesday 15th February," police say.
5pm - There are two new locations of interest. They are:
- Zone Bowling and Time Zone Wairau Valley, January 25 from 8pm to 9:15pm
- Carl's Jr Hastings, January 28 from 9am to 5pm.
4:30pm - There are still three DHBs yet to reach the 90 percent goal for second doses. They are:
- Northland: 87 percent of eligible population fully vaccinated, 5307 people remaining to hit target
- Tairāwhiti: 89 percent fully vaccinated, 250 people remaining
- Whanganui: 89 percent fully vaccinated, 321 people remaining.
Northland is still yet to reach 90 percent first doses. It has given 89 percent of its eligible population one dose, with just 427 people remaining to hit 90 percent.
4:05pm - There are six new locations of interest. They are:
- Glenview Medical Centre Hamilton, January 21 from 1:45pm to 3pm
- New World Kerikeri, January 22 from 4:45pm to 6:05pm
- Hawke's Bay Airport Napier, January 26 from 5:45am to 6:15am
- The Backyard Gastropub Whatawhata, January 27 from 6:50pm to 7:30pm
- New World Kerikeri, January 29 from 12:58pm to 1:15pm
- BP Connect Geyser Rotorua, January 31 from 11:15am to 11:20am.
3:45pm - National's immigration spokesperson Erica Stanford says the Ministry of Education must now resort to applying for emergency MIQ spots meant for offshore Kiwis to get teachers into the country in time for term one after Chris Hipkins failed to allocate any rooms for them.
"As teacher shortages continue to mount, National has repeatedly called for COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins to allocate dedicated MIQ spots for the teachers that he announced would be able to enter the country last July," Stanford says.
"Since that announcement, the Minister has sat back and done nothing. Now the situation is so desperate that the Ministry of Education is lodging its own emergency allocation requests for MIQ spots to get teachers here on time, taking those spots away from desperate Kiwis trying to get home."
Stanford says that what is "so utterly ridiculous" is that 430 out of 800 rooms allocated for time-sensitive travel up to the end of February will sit empty because of "Government bureaucracy gone mad".
“The Government requires time-sensitive MIQ applications to be in before a set date, but teachers are missing these dates while waiting for their visas to be processed. The next batch of time-sensitive MIQ rooms to be allocated will be for travel between 1 May and 30 June, meaning teachers will miss term one and part of term two," she says.
"If the Government had any common sense, they would have removed this date requirement in the latest round of room offerings and filled the 430 unallocated MIQ rooms with the 300 school teachers who should have already been here."
Stanford says she's heard from schools that classes of up to 28 students won't have teachers next week.
"The Minister must urgently rectify this situation and allocate MIQ rooms now for school teachers, so the students he should be supporting as Education Minister don't fall behind even further," she says.
"Or better yet, end MIQ for fully vaccinated Kiwi citizens and essential workers like teachers."
3:25pm - Here's Professor Michael Plank, from Te Pūnaha Matatini and the University of Canterbury:
"It is excellent news that the gap between the second dose and the booster has been shortened to 3 months, meaning 1 million additional New Zealanders are now eligible to get their booster dose. With Omicron, getting the booster significantly reduces your own risk of getting seriously ill. It also reduces our collective risk that hospitals will be overwhelmed with COVID patients.
"To manage the impacts of Omicron, we need to boost as many people as possible, as quickly as possible. It takes a week or two for your immune system to respond to the vaccine dose. In a couple of weeks' time, it's likely we will have much higher infection rates in the community. So the time to get the booster is now. If you are eligible, please make a plan to get your booster and encourage your whānau and friends to do the same."
3:05pm - There are two new locations of interest. They are:
- Flight NZ5002 Napier to Auckland, January 26 from 6:15am to 7:20am
- New World Island Bay, January 31 from 5:30pm to 5:40pm.
2:45pm - Here's Dr Dion O'Neale, principal investigator at Te Pūnaha Matatini and senior lecturer at the University of Auckland's physics department:
"The shortening to three months for the period before people are eligible for getting a booster is big step in improving access to one of the most important tools in keeping people protected from COVID-19.
"Data from the UK Health Security Agency indicates that for people three or more months after a second dose of the Pfizer vaccine, their protection against symptomatic infection is under 20%. This jumps to over 60% vaccine effectiveness against symptomatic infection after a booster dose. By reducing the interval between a 2nd and a 3rd dose, we are significantly increasing the proportion of the population who are currently able to get a booster and take advantage of that protection.
"If we see good uptake rates for booster doses, with people getting their third jabs as soon as they are eligible, then that will help us to limit the rate of growth of the current Omicron outbreak, in addition to increasing people’s protection from severe symptoms and hospitalisation.
"Slower vaccination rates for Māori during the initial vaccine roll-out meant that a four-month wait would have left many ineligible for a booster over the next month when we are expecting Omicron cases to grow significantly. Reducing to a three-month interval to become eligible for a booster can help with not leaving people unprotected during this period.
"It is also important to note that eligibility is not the same thing as access. If the issues that led to slower uptake for some groups during the initial vaccine roll-out are not addressed for delivering boosters then we risk seeing the same people left with higher risk of infection and the possibility of severe health consequences."
2:30pm - A children's charity is worried low-income families are struggling to send their children to school as schools brace for another tumultuous year.
Low decile schools are warning children in poverty will be missing from classrooms as families struggle with both back-to-school costs and the impact of Omicron.
According to KidsCan, this year is expected to be the toughest yet with staff in nearly 200 schools and early childhood centres supported by the charity sharing stories of the choices some families are forced to make at the start of the school year.
2:05pm - The COVID-19 booster vaccination interval has been reduced to three months, meaning a million more people in New Zealand over 18 will be eligible from Friday.
COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said Cabinet ministers considered advice from Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield and the COVID-19 Vaccine Technical Advisory Group.
The interval between second dose and booster dose was reduced from six months to four months in December as part of the Government's response to Omicron. With the variant now spreading in New Zealand, the latest change means more people will be protected if they come into contact with it.
2pm: Here's Dr Matthew Hobbs, co-director of GeoHealth Laboratory and senior lecturer in Public Health, School of Health Sciences, University of Canterbury:
"Vaccination is especially important in New Zealand as we have had minimal prior exposure to COVID-19 in the community. In New Zealand, 67% of eligible people have now received their booster, which offers high levels of protection from hospitalisation and death. Boosted individuals are up to 92% less likely to be hospitalised with Omicron, compared with unvaccinated people.
"Omicron is a "double-edged sword". It is vastly more transmissible but less severe. However, it is not a mild infection and there is no guarantee the next variant will be less severe. Healthcare workers are already over-burdened and exhausted from previous outbreaks, which have distracted from other services and exacerbated entrenched inequities.
"Also, as children return to school, we need equitable vaccinations and ventilation. Data out of Australia indicate children aged five to 11 tolerated the vaccine well, with fewer side effects than adults. Unfortunately, our analysis, along with other evidence, documents a concerning trend with lower childhood vaccination rates for Māori and Pasifika, as well as large variation between regions.
"This is concerning as some countries, including the US, have seen increases in childhood hospitalisation rates for COVID-19. In the UK, one in eight pupils have missed school as COVID-related absences rise."
1:55pm - Hipkins tells reporters no decision has been made on a booster dose requirement for the vaccine passport, but it could be later this year.
1:50pm - Here's some expert reaction to the booster change from Dr David Welch, a senior lecturer at the Centre for Computational Evolution and School of Computer Science, University of Auckland:
"Reducing the interval for boosters from four months to three months is a sensible move and it will give people the ability to get the booster before encountering Omicron in the community," says Dr Welch.
"Booster shots provide significant extra protection against sickness and serious disease. They also are effective at preventing infection altogether so have a protective effect on those around you.
"The government and whole community should focus on getting everyone eligible booster shots and getting children vaccinated at high rates over the next few weeks while Omicron cases are still at relatively low levels. We have the ability to administer over 80k doses for a sustained period and we should aim to achieve at least that that. This will greatly increase the immunity we have in the population and reduce the impacts of the Omicron outbreak."
1:45pm - Why isn't the interval being reduced until Friday, Ardern is asked. She says there needs to be time to "stand up the infrastructure" allowing this change, such as changing the website that allows the bookings. The decision was formalised on Wednesday.
Ardern says the Government moved to this interval as soon as it got the advice. New Zealand is relatively early in the Omicron outbreak, she says, so people still have time to get boosted.
Dr Bloomfield says evidence is still emerging about the intervals. We are making the change before the outbreak gets bad, he says, whereas other countries which have shortened the intervals have done so in the middle of an outbreak.
He says two doses is fine for Delta, but it's not enough for Omicron.
Chief Science Advisor Ian Town doesn't believe there are any downsides to bringing the interval to three months, no changes with side-effects. Protection starts to rise immediately, he says.
1:40pm - Here is COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkin's full statement:
A million more New Zealanders over 18 will be eligible for their booster from this Friday, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins announced today.
"Cabinet has considered advice from the Director-General of Health and the COVID-19 Vaccine Technical Advisory Group and decided to reduce the interval between a person's primary vaccination course and the booster from 4 months to 3 months – starting this Friday 4 February," Chris Hipkins said.
"This is a significant step in our response to the COVID-19 pandemic as it now means a total of 3,063,823 people aged 18 and over – two thirds of our population – will be eligible for their booster from this weekend. Over 1.3 million people have already got theirs.
"I urge every New Zealander who is eligible for a booster to get it as soon as possible. We are in a race against Omicron and the more people who are boosted the more we can reduce the impact of the outbreak.
"Bringing forward the booster timing will help those who have been immunised more recently. It will mean more people, especially Māori, will be able to receive a booster before Omicron takes hold in communities.
"Boosters lower your chances of getting very sick from the Omicron variant of COVID-19 and ending up in hospital. Fewer hospitalisations from COVID-19 will mean our health system can continue to provide the full range of care people need, in particular for our most vulnerable such as people with disabilities or long-term illnesses.
"It is also important to reduce impacts on other workforces such as those involved with the supply chain to ensure people have access to goods and services.
"New Zealand is in the top 10 most highly vaccinated countries in the OECD – 94 percent of us aged over 12 are fully vaccinated. That's close to four million New Zealanders, over a quarter of which have now also had their booster shot.
"Now is our opportunity to build on that. We have given ourselves a head start that we cannot afford to give up.
"If you are over 18 and it is three months since you received your primary vaccination course, get your booster. There is excellent capacity this weekend and in the coming weeks and enough supply throughout Aotearoa for everyone.
"Thank you to our vaccination providers and staff across the country who are working the long weekend to ensure New Zealanders have options to access their booster dose, wherever they are," Chris Hipkins said.
1:35pm - Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is now speaking about the reduced wait time for the booster. She begins by noting New Zealand's high vaccination rate and how that has set the country up well for the Omicron outbreak.
Vaccination is one of the best things to "prepare for and fight" Omicron, Ardern says, and she encourages people to get out and there and boosted.
Overseas experiences show if we have very high number of cases, there will be a high number of people need hospital care. That would put the hospital system under "considerable pressure" and disrupt other care. The consequences of that could be serious, she says. Getting vaccinated isn't just about personal health, but about looking after our health system, she says.
A 'big boost' campaign will be run through February to encourage people to get their boosters, Ardern says.
Dr Ashley Bloomfield reiterates the PM's comments, especially regarding the 94 percent vaccinated number. He notes the children's vaccine is also available and over a third of children have had their first dose. People who are vaccinated are well protected from becoming seriously unwell, Dr Bloomfield says. This can wane, however, but with a booster, people's protection returns to the level after a second shot.
With Omicron becoming dominated, Dr Bloomfield says it is important we do everything we can to protect ourselves. There is "excellent" capacity to get people boosted, he says. People who are at serious risk of becoming exposed to the virus or becoming unwell if they get COVID-19 should get the shot as soon as they can, he says.
1:30pm - The Government has announced it is reducing the interval between second doses of the vaccine and the booster shot to three months from Friday. It was four months.
That means a million more Kiwis over 18 will be eligible for their booster from this Friday, COVID-19 Minister Chris Hipkins said in a statement.
The moves comes after advice from the Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield and the COVID-19 Vaccine Technical Advisory Group.
"This is a significant step in our response to the COVID-19 pandemic as it now means a total of 3,063,823 people aged 18 and over – two thirds of our population – will be eligible for their booster from this weekend. Over 1.3 million people have already got theirs.
"I urge every New Zealander who is eligible for a booster to get it as soon as possible. We are in a race against Omicron and the more people who are boosted the more we can reduce the impact of the outbreak.
"Bringing forward the booster timing will help those who have been immunised more recently. It will mean more people, especially Māori, will be able to receive a booster before Omicron takes hold in communities."
Dr Bloomfield has asked for advice on whether and when 12-17 years olds can get a booster dose. This is expected new week.
1:15pm - Today’s cases
We are reporting new community cases in Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Lakes, Bay of Plenty, Taranaki, Hawke’s Bay, Nelson Marlborough, and Canterbury.
The cases in Taranaki were first announced yesterday and are included in today’s official case numbers.
Northland
There are 11 new cases to report in Northland today.
Of these cases, 10 are linked to previously reported cases and investigations are underway to determine a link for the remaining one.
Nine of these cases are in Kerikeri, one is in Whangarei and the 11th is in Kaikohe.
Auckland
There are 103 cases to report in Auckland today.
Health and welfare providers are now supporting 1284 people in the region to isolate at home, including 515 cases.
Waikato
There are 12 cases to report in the Waikato.
Case investigations are underway to determine a source of exposure for a number of unlinked cases.
Lakes
There are two new cases being reported in Rotorua today. One case is linked to a previous case and the other case is under investigation.
Bay of Plenty
Today we are reporting five cases in the Bay of Plenty.
Three of the cases are linked to previous cases and investigations are on-going for the remaining two. All five cases are in Tauranga.
Hawke’s Bay
There is one new case to report in Hawkes Bay.
They are linked to a known case and any locations of interest associated with them will be published on the Ministry of Health website.
Nelson Marlborough
There are two new cases to report in Nelson Marlborough today. Both are linked to existing cases.
Canterbury
There are three new cases to report in Christchurch today, which includes two of the cases announced yesterday.
Following data reconciliation, there are now nine total active cases in Canterbury.
1:10pm - Here is the Ministry of Health's latest update on booster shots:
"There were 38,332 booster doses administered yesterday, taking the total to date to 1,362,811. Also, 8,636 paediatric doses were given yesterday, bringing the total to 177,964.
"With Omicron in New Zealand, one of the best things you can do is get your booster as soon as it is due.
"Boosters lower your chances of getting very sick and being hospitalised. Being boosted also helps slow the spread of the virus. If you’re over 18 and your booster is due, please get it now. Evidence to date is that the rate of adverse reactions to a booster dose is similar to people receiving their second dose."
An announcement on booster shots is coming at 1:30pm. You can watch it above.
1:05pm - There are 142 new community cases, taking the seven day rolling average to 101. There are also 54 new border cases to report.
Location of new community cases: Northland (11), Auckland (103), Waikato (12), Lakes (2), Bay of Plenty (5), Taranaki (3), Hawke’s Bay (1),Nelson Marlborough (2), Canterbury (3).
COVID-19 vaccine update
- Vaccines administered to date (percentage of eligible people): 4,043,230 first doses (96%); 3,965,423 second doses (94%); 1,362,811 booster doses (69%)
- Vaccines administered yesterday: 1,218 first doses; , 2,248 second doses; 8,636 paediatric doses; 38,332 booster doses.
- Māori (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 512,934 first doses (89.8%); 486,471 second doses (85%).
- Pacific Peoples (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 277,513 first doses (97%); 269,566 second doses (94%).
- Paediatric vaccines administered to date (percentage of 5-11-year-olds): 177,964 first doses (37%)
- Māori (percentage of eligible people aged 5-11): 23,517 first doses (20%)
- Pacific Peoples (percentage of eligible people aged 5-11): 13,266 first doses (27%)
Vaccination rates for all DHBs (percentage of eligible people aged 12 +)
- Northland DHB: First doses (89.7%); second doses (87%)
- Auckland Metro DHBs: First doses (97%); second doses (95%)
- Waikato DHB: First doses (95%); second doses (93%)
- 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 (94%)
- 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 (98%)
- South Canterbury DHB: First doses (95%); second doses (93%)
- Southern DHB: First doses (97%); second doses (96%)
Hospitalisations
- Cases in hospital: 6; North Shore: 1; Middlemore: 3; Auckland: 1; Waikato 1,
- Average age of current hospitalisations: 57
- Cases in ICU or HDU: 0
- Vaccination status of current hospitalisations (Northern Region wards only): Unvaccinated or not eligible (N/A cases / 0%); partially immunised <7 days from second dose or have only received one dose (N/A cases / 0%); fully vaccinated at least 7 days before being reported as a case (5 cases / 100%); unknown (N/A case / 0%).
Cases
- Seven day rolling average of community cases: 101
- Seven day rolling average of border cases: 49
- Number of new community cases: 142
- Number of new cases identified at the border: 54
- Location of new community cases: Northland (11), Auckland (103), Waikato (12), Lakes (2), Bay of Plenty (5), Taranaki (3), Hawke’s Bay (1),Nelson Marlborough (2), Canterbury (3).
- Number of community cases (total): 12,274 (in current community outbreaks)
- Cases epidemiologically linked (total): 9,212
- Number of active cases (total): 994 (cases identified in the past 21 days and not yet classified as recovered)
- Confirmed cases (total): 16442
Contacts
- Number of active contacts being managed (total): 5,796
- Percentage who has received an outbound call from contact tracers (to confirm testing and isolation requirements): 81%
- Percentage who has returned at least one result: 72%
Tests
- Number of tests total (last 24 hours): 20,138
- Tests rolling average (last 7 days): 19,592
- Auckland tests total (last 24 hours): 8,081
Wastewater
- No unusual detections to report.
NZ COVID Tracer
- Poster scans in the 24 hours to midday yesterday: 2,318,267
- Manual diary entries in the 24 hours to midday: 50,627
My Vaccine Pass
- My vaccine pass downloads total: 5,013,989
- My vaccine pass downloads (last 24 hours): 13,945
12:45pm - Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins will hold a press conference at 1:30pm from the Beehive where they will make announcements about the booster vaccinations.
You will be able to watch the livestream 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.
12:07pm - The Ministry of Health has announced one new location of interest in Auckland, which is considered 'high risk'.
The location is:
- Train ride from Otahuhu Train Station to Panmure Train Station Auckland - Thursday, 27 January from 1:45pm to 1:55pm
The ministry asks anyone who was on the train during the exposure time to "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".
For the relevant dates, times and public health advice - and updates to existing locations of interest - click here.
11:50am - Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson says mounting political pressure was not the reason Charlotte Bellis was given a MIQ spot.
The pregnant journalist confirmed on Tuesday her emergency MIQ application had been approved, and she would return to New Zealand in March.
Robertson told Morning Report he was pleased Bellis could return.
"It's not necessarily about making a fuss, it's about a very difficult set of balancing considerations that officials have to make," Robertson said.
"We've set the emergency application process up to be able to deal with a whole different range of circumstances, and we do our best to fulfil that."
He would not say if pregnancy should be added as a MIQ emergency.
Read the full story here.
11:30am - In Victoria, COVID-19 cases numbers have increased with 14,553 infections announced on Wednesday compared to 11,311 on Tuesday.
Victoria Health also revealed that 25 people died with COVID-19 in the last 24 hours.
Hospitilastions have decreased with 768 people in hospital with COVID-19 on Wednesday compared to 851 on Tuesday.
Victoria Health said that 99 people are in ICU with 31 on a ventilator.
11:18am - The Ministry of Health has announced three new locations of interest in Auckland, Hamilton and Morrinsville.
The locations are:
- Anglesea Clinic Urgent Care Hamilton - Saturday, 29 January from 10:54am to 1:45pm
- Wendy's Hamburgers Mount Eden - from Wednesday, 26 January 4pm to Thursday, 27 January 12:15am
- New World Morrinsville - Wednesday, 26 January from 5am to 3:05pm
The ministry asks anyone who was at one of these locations during the exposure time 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.
11:15am - In Australia, New South Wales has announced 11,807 new COVID-19 community cases in the last 24 hours.
The new cases announced on Wednesday are down by just over 1000 from Tuesday when 12,818 cases were recorded.
Of the 11,807 positive tests, 6,314 were Rapid Antigen Tests and 5,493 were PCR tests.
News South Wales Health also revealed that 27 people died with COVID-19 in the last 24 hours.
Hospitalisations have also come down in the last 24 hours. There are currently 2,622 people in hospital compared to 2,749 on Tuesday.
11:08am - Pfizer announced on Wednesday that they're seeking an emergency authorization of COVID-19 vaccines for kids under 5.
Pfizer has begun submitting data to US regulators seeking emergency use authorization (EUA) of their COVID-19 vaccine for children under age 5, despite weaker than expected immune responses in their clinical trial of 2- to 4-year-olds.
The FDA said an outside committee of expert advisers would meet on Feb. 15 to discuss the authorization.
Read the full story here.
11am - The Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio has announced that the Government is providing a $1.5 million boost to the Prepare Pacific Community Vaccination.
Sio said the funding will directly support Pacific community-led initiatives to encourage boosters and child vaccinations.
"The vaccine plays an important part in our preparations for Omicron," Sio said.
"We need to ensure our 5-11-year-old Pacific children are vaccinated and that all of our eligible Pacific peoples get their booster when they become due. It's critical that we vaccinate our children before the coming winter.
"We've seen overseas how fast Omicron can overwhelm health care systems and impact essential services. Vaccination is the first step our families can take to prepare for Omicron."
Sio has praised the Pacific community's efforts on getting vaccinated but urged them to continue the good work when it comes to getting their booster shot.
"The Pacific community's response to vaccinations has been excellent. National vaccination figures show that 97 percent have received their first dose, and 94 percent are fully vaccinated with two doses," he said.
"However, data for booster uptake shows Pacific rates are still low in comparison with other communities in Aotearoa. Only 32 percent of Pacific people due for a booster have received one so far compared to 42 percent of Māori.
"It's important our Pacific communities continue with their great response to vaccinations. This top up of the Prepare Pacific Community Vaccination Fund will ensure our communities have the resources to achieve the high vaccination rates we need to keep safe."
Pacific community groups predominantly in Auckland can apply for funding although groups from around New Zealand are welcome to apply.
Community groups, Pacific churches, Pacific youth groups and other groups that work with marginalised Pacific communities will be eligible to apply for up to $40,000.
The Prepare Pacific Community Vaccination Fund, which is being managed by The Cause Collective, will run until 30 June 2022 or when funds have been fully distributed.
"Through this fund we are asking our Pacific communities to prepare for Omicron by getting your booster and vaccinating our young children," Sio said.
"Omicron will challenge all of us, we will need to be ready in advance. We've met the challenge many times before, we must meet it again."
10:40am - Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins will take to the podium at 1:30pm today to make an announcement on boosters.
This will be Ardern's first media appearance following her short stink in self-isolation after she was deemed a close contact.
Ardern entered self-isolation on Saturday after being informed she was a close contact of a positive COVID-19 case understood to have the Omicron variant.
In line with Ministry of Health advice she was tested immediately and had to be isolated until Tuesday - 10 days since the exposure event.
You will be able to watch the press conference here at 1:30pm.
10:05am - The Ministry of Health has announced one new location of interest in Nelson.
The location is:
- Pelorus Bridge Café & Motorcamp, Nelson - Thursday, 27 January from 12:15pm to 12:35pm
The ministry asks anyone who was at the café during the exposure time 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.
9:53am - Just weeks after the first community case of the Omicron variant was confirmed it has become the dominant strain of COVID-19 in New Zealand.
Cases have remained stable with just 126 COVID community cases announced on Tuesday but experts have predicted there will be a sharp rise in Omicron cases.
New Zealand is in a better place than other countries but the most challenging phase of the Omicron outbreak is yet to come.
Read the full story here.
9:25am - American epidemiologist and World Health Organization (WHO) lead Maria Van Kerkhove has urged countries against the premature lifting of COVID restrictions.
Van Kerkhove told a WHO online briefing that in the last seven days more than 22 million cases have been reported to the WHO, which is largely driven by the Omicron variant.
Van Kerkhove said it's "concerning" to see the sharp rise in COVID related deaths in the last four weeks from around the world.
"We are urging caution because many countries have not gone through the peak of Omicron yet. Many countries have low levels of vaccination coverage with very vulnerable individuals within their populations," Van Kerkhove said.
"And so now is not the time to lift everything all at once. We have always urged, always (be) very cautious, in applying interventions as well as lifting those interventions in a steady and in a slow way, piece by piece. Because this virus is quite dynamic."
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he was very concerned about some countries believing since Omicron is less severe and more transmissible, preventing cases is no longer possible, and no longer necessary.
"Nothing could be further from the truth," Tedros told the online briefing.
"More transmission means more deaths. We are not calling for any country to return to so-called lockdown. But we are calling on all countries to protect their people using every tool in the toolkit, not vaccines alone.
"It's premature for any country to surrender or to declare victory."
9:10am - The Ministry of Health has announced four new locations of interest in Auckland, Gisborne and Nelson.
The locations are:
- Wendy's Hamburgers Mount Eden - Thursday, 27 January from 9:30am to 6:15pm and Friday, 28 January from 10am to 6:15pm
- Carl's Jr. Gisborne - Friday, 28 January from 12pm to 9pm
- The Vic Public House Nelson - Wednesday, 26 January from 8pm to 9:10pm
The ministry asks anyone who was at these venues during the exposure time 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.
8:50am - A staff member at Hawke's Bay Airport has tested positive for COVID-19 the Sun Live reports.
The positive case is a staff member who works for the airport's corporate office and most of the staffer's colleagues are now isolating.
The airport's acting chief executive Stephanie Murphy said the positive case will not disrupt flights.
"We've put a huge effort into contingency planning for a situation like this, including separating our corporate team from our Airport Fire Service and carefully following Ministry of Health advice, to ensure operations can be seamless if we had a case," she says in a statement.
"Unfortunately, within a matter of weeks, positive cases will likely become the norm in our region. We are doing everything we can to ensure our team, other airport workers and passengers coming through the airport are as safe as possible given the circumstances."
8:30am - Omicron cases have continued to surge around the world as hospitals struggle to meet the demand.
In the UK, they reported 112,458 new COVID-19 cases and 219 deaths on Tuesday (local time) while in Italy it recorded 133,142 infections which is up from 57,715 the day before.
Read the full story here.
8:05am - The Kingdom of Tonga will go into nationwide lockdown from 6pm on Wednesday.
The news was announced when Prime Minister Hu'akavameiliku and Minister of Health Dr Saia Piukala held a media conference on Tuesday night on Tongan radio.
They confirmed that two cases of Covid-19 have been detected through routine testing at the wharf in Nuku'alofa.
Prime Minister Hu'akavameiliku ordered the lockdown.
Read the full story here.
7:56am - Pregnant journalist Charlotte Bellis called the Government "condescending" for the way they handled her situation and hasn't ruled out legal action.
"Definitely up there. What a service, it's unlike anything I've experienced," Bellis told Newstalk ZB on Wednesday.
"It's been such a circus that I don't really want to add more fuel to the fire but they did breach my privacy twice in a matter of days and their entire response was so condescending.
"They suggested I take this seriously, I mean does anyone believe I wasn't taking it seriously. My lawyer would obviously like to pursue it but let's see I don't know."
Bellis said she will continue to help fellow pregnant Kiwis stuck abroad but feels nothing has changed through her situation.
"There are pros and cons. We wanted to keep our privacy so we didn't tell anyone we were pregnant until five months and then it came to this, so we need to involve some drastic measures," she said.
"I can't really sense what it's like in New Zealand but it's great for me. I get to come home, I get to have my baby in New Zealand but also we didn't really move the dial for pregnant New Zealand women abroad because they refused to budge that you can come home for medical treatment," she said.
"Then I think there is a simmering feeling now amongst Kiwis abroad just from what I've read in messages today of just the anxiety of not knowing, 'ok great for you but what does that leave us with'.
"I don't know how to respond to that. I'm going to keep on top of things but I guess I can't wait for this press conference on Thursday."
7:53am - Kia ora, good morning, and welcome to Newshub's live coverage of the COVID-19 Omicron outbreak for Wednesday, February 2.
