The Ministry of Health is reporting more than 14,000 new cases across the community, with 943 people in hospital with COVID-19.
It comes as the National Party calls for a number of public health measures to be dropped. The party says this can happen as Auckland moves past its Omicron peak and the rest of New Zealand nears that point.
"As we come through the peak of Omicron, it’s time to phase out restrictions and allow people to get back to normal," leader Christopher Luxon says. "This is particularly important for businesses, which have often borne the brunt of restrictions like gathering limits, vaccine passes and scanning in."
National wants the Government to immediately:
- drop all scanning requirements for businesses and scrap vaccine passes for all but large indoor events;
- get rid of all vaccine mandates for young people aged under 18, and;
- move to a five-day isolation period.
When the border reopens to Australian tourists, it wants the Government to:
- scrap the Traffic Light Framework altogether;
- abolish pre-departure testing, and;
- phase out all vaccine mandates, with health workers to be phased out last.
What you need to know:
- There were 14,128 new community COVID cases recorded on Friday
- Location of new community cases (PCR & RAT): Northland (536), Auckland (3,498), Waikato (1,333), Bay of Plenty (956), Lakes (416), Hawke’s Bay (841), MidCentral (599), Whanganui (205), Taranaki (470), Tairāwhiti (232), Wairarapa (164), Capital and Coast (906), Hutt Valley (549), Nelson Marlborough (416), Canterbury (1,937), South Canterbury (135), Southern (890), West Coast (39); Unknown (6)
- There are 943 people in hospital, including 25 in ICU
- Average age of current hospitalisations: 58
- Locations of hospitalisations: total number 930: Northland: 22; North Shore: 177; Middlemore: 230; Auckland: 209; Waikato: 68; Bay of Plenty: 35; Lakes: 8; Tairāwhiti: 4, Hawke’s Bay: 23; Taranaki: 6; MidCentral: 13; Hutt Valley: 18; Capital and Coast: 44; Wairarapa: 5; Whanganui: 1; Nelson Marlborough: 13; Canterbury: 47; South Canterbury: 2; Southern: 18
- Vaccination status of current hospitalisations (Northern Region only, excluding Emergency Departments): Unvaccinated or not eligible (96 cases / 16.8%); partially immunised <7 days from second dose or have only received one dose (18 cases / 3.1%); double vaccinated at least 7 days before being reported as a case (194 cases / 33.9%); Received booster at least 7 days before being reported as a case (198 cases / 34.5%); unknown (67 cases / 11.7%)
- Number of new cases identified at the border: 18
These live updates have now finished.
1:30pm - A fourth dose of the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines has "only marginal" benefits for healthy young people, a new study has found.
The study, which was published in the New England Journal of Medicine, looked at healthy, young health care workers in Israel. It compared workers who had just three shots to those who were given a fourth dose around four months after their first booster.
The research showed that while it restored antibody levels to the previous peak, it didn't really push them any higher, suggesting the maximum immune response is seen after three doses.
1:20pm - Positive or negative, please report your RAT results
The Ministry would like to thank the many people who are getting tested and reporting results.
Our message today is simple: positive, or negative, please report your RAT result.
It only takes a couple of minutes, and helps health officials assess the outbreak and better understand the spread of Omicron.
In addition to reporting the test results through ‘My Covid Record’, parents and caregivers are now able to report test results of children under 12 and other family members by calling the My Covid Record team on 0800 222 478.
COVID-19 related deaths
Sadly, 5 deaths of people with COVID-19 have been formally reported in the past 24 hours.
This takes the total number of publicly reported COVID related deaths to 156 and the 7-day rolling average of reported deaths to 8.
Delays to reporting can be associated with people dying with, rather than of COVID-19, and COVID being determined after they have died. Due to these fluctuations in the daily reported figures, the Ministry regards the 7 day rolling average as a better indicator of deaths with COVID.
Of the 5 people who have died, two were from Auckland, one from Waikato, one from Canterbury, and one from the Hutt Valley.
Of these people, one was in their 50s, two in their 70s and two in their 80s. Two were women and three were men.
Our thoughts are with their family and friends at this sad time.
Out of respect, we will be making no further comment.
1:10pm - Here's the latest data from the Ministry of Health:
Vaccinations administered in New Zealand
- Vaccines administered to date: 4,023,904 first doses; 3,970,889 second doses; 34,232 third primary doses; 2,539,738 booster doses: 255,816 paediatric first doses and 24,042 paediatric second doses
- Vaccines administered yesterday: 290 first doses; 513 second doses; 39 third primary doses; 5,335 booster doses; 370 paediatric first doses and 4,272 paediatric second doses
People vaccinated
- All Ethnicities (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 4,052,583 first dose (96.3%); 3,999,131 second dose (95%), 2,539,049 boosted (72.8% of those eligible)
- Māori (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 519,733 first dose (91%); 501,544 second dose (87.8%), 223,758 boosted (59% of those eligible)
- Pacific Peoples (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 281,159 first dose (98.1%); 275,841 second dose (96.2%), 133,417 boosted (59.7% of those eligible)
- 5 to 11-year-olds all ethnicities: 255,249 first dose (53.6%); 23,545 second dose (4.9%)
- 5 to 11-year-olds - Māori: 39,670 first dose (34.3%); 2,889 second dose (2.5%)
- 5 to 11-year-olds - Pacific Peoples: 22,940 first dose (46.4%); 1,459 second dose (3%)
Note that the number for “People vaccinated” differs slightly from “Vaccines administered” as it includes those that have been vaccinated overseas.
Vaccination rates for all DHBs*
- Northland DHB: first dose (90%); second dose (87.8%); boosted (69.8%)
- Auckland Metro DHB: first dose (97.2%); second dose (96.1%); boosted (70.9%)
- Waikato DHB: first dose (95%); second dose (93.4%); boosted (68.5%)
- Bay of Plenty DHB: first dose (94.9%); second dose (93.2%); boosted (68.8%)
- Lakes DHB: first dose (93.2%); second dose (91.4%); boosted (69.1%)
- MidCentral DHB: first dose (96.4%); second dose (95.1%); boosted (74.6%)
- Tairāwhiti DHB: first dose (93.2%); second dose (90.8%); boosted (69.7%)
- Whanganui DHB: first dose (91.9%); second dose (90.3%); boosted (74.1%)
- Hawke’s Bay DHB: first dose (96.9%); second dose (95.2%); boosted (72.7%)
- Taranaki DHB: first dose (94.5%); second dose (93%); boosted (70.2%)
- Wairarapa DHB: first dose (96.4%); second dose (94.9%); boosted (75.2%)
- Capital & Coast DHB: first dose (98.5%); second dose (97.8%); boosted (81.3%)
- Hutt Valley DHB: first dose (96.6%); second dose (95.5%); boosted (77.2%)
- Nelson Marlborough DHB: first dose (96.4%); second dose (95.2%); boosted (76.1%)
- West Coast DHB: first dose (92.5%); second dose (91%); boosted (74.1%)
- Canterbury DHB: first dose (99.6%); second dose (98.6%); boosted (75.7%)
- South Canterbury DHB: first dose (94.9%); second dose (93.8%); boosted (76.8%)
- Southern DHB: first dose (98%); second dose (96.9%); boosted (75.2%)
*Partially and second doses percentages are for those 12+. Boosted percentages are for 18+ who have become eligible 3 months after having their second dose
Percentages are based on 2020 HSU data - a health-specific population denominator. As the population continues to change over time, coverage rates can exceed 100%.
Hospitalisations*
- Cases in hospital: total number 943: Northland: 22; North Shore: 177; Middlemore: 230; Auckland: 209; Waikato: 68; Bay of Plenty: 35; Lakes: 8; Tairāwhiti: 4, Hawke’s Bay: 23; Taranaki: 6; MidCentral: 13; Hutt Valley: 18; Capital and Coast: 44; Wairarapa: 5; Whanganui: 1; Nelson Marlborough: 13; Canterbury: 47; South Canterbury: 2; Southern: 18
- Average age of current hospitalisations: 58
- Cases in ICU or HDU: 25
- Vaccination status of current hospitalisations (Northern Region only, excluding Emergency Departments): Unvaccinated or not eligible (96 cases / 16.8%); partially immunised <7 days from second dose or have only received one dose (18 cases / 3.1%); double vaccinated at least 7 days before being reported as a case (194 cases / 33.9%); Received booster at least 7 days before being reported as a case (198 cases / 34.5%); unknown (67 cases / 11.7%)
*The figures show that just under 3% of people aged 12 and over in the Northern Region have had no doses of the vaccine, while of those aged 12 and over in Northland and Auckland hospitals with COVID-19 for whom we have vaccination status recorded, 16.4% have had no doses of the vaccine and are five times over-represented in our hospitalisation figures.
Cases
- Seven day rolling average of community cases: 17,673
- Number of new community cases: 14,128
- Number of new community cases (PCR): 382
- Number of new community cases (RAT): 13,746
- Location of new community cases (PCR & RAT): Northland (536), Auckland (3,498), Waikato (1,333), Bay of Plenty (956), Lakes (416), Hawke’s Bay (841), MidCentral (599), Whanganui (205), Taranaki (470), Tairāwhiti (232), Wairarapa (164), Capital and Coast (906), Hutt Valley (549), Nelson Marlborough (416), Canterbury (1,937), South Canterbury (135), Southern (890), West Coast (39); Unknown (6)
- Number of new cases identified at the border: 18
- Number of active community cases (total): 123,701 (cases identified in the past 7 days and not yet classified as recovered)
- Confirmed cases (total): 451,537
Please note, the Ministry of Health’s daily reported cases may differ slightly from those reported at a DHB or local public health unit level. This is because of different reporting cut off times and the assignment of cases between regions, for example when a case is tested outside their usual region of residence. Total numbers will always be the formal daily case tally as reported to the WHO.
Tests
- Number of PCR tests total (last 24 hours): 4,456
- Number of Rapid Antigen Tests reported total (last 24 hours): 40,157
- PCR tests rolling average (last 7 days): 4,256
- Number of Rapid Antigen Tests dispatched (last 7 days as of 15/03/22): 10.8 million
1:05pm - Vaccinologist Helen Petousis-Harris is now speaking about the benefits of boosters and how it strengthens the protection given by primary doses. You can watch the livestream above.
1pm - Dr Anthony Jordan, NRHCC Associate Chief Clinical Officer, says there 14,128 new cases across the country. There are 943 people in hospital. There are 25 people in ICU. A further five deaths are being reported in Auckland, Waikato, the Hutt Valley and Canterbury.
Dr Jordan says officials are increasingly optimistic that Auckland has reached its peak. But there are still a high number of people arriving at hospital with symptoms who have not been vaccinated. Only 11 percent of hospitalisations have been vaccinated in the region. He says it is still not too late to get vaccinated.
He would like to see the booster rate increase in Auckland.
12:55pm - The livestream of the update should be in the video component above. Refresh the page if you cannot see it.
12:45pm - A peer-reviewed study has found a brain blood clot is far more likely to occur after a COVID-19 infection than a Pfizer or Moderna vaccination.
Cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT), or a brain blood clot, is an extremely rare but possible side effect of mRNA vaccines.
Researchers at the National Neuroscience Institute in Singapore used local hospital data to estimate the rate of the condition after vaccination and then compared it to the rate after infection.
12:35pm - The Government will next week reveal its decision on the future of vaccine mandates and other COVID-19 response measures.
It appears the National Party is trying to get out in front of that by releasing its own proposals on Friday.
That includes immediately dropping scanning requirements, ditching vaccine passes for all but the large indoor events, getting rid of vaccine mandates for young people under 18 and moving to five days isolation.
Once the border reopens to Australians on April 13, National wants the Government to scrap the traffic light system, abolish pre-departure testing and phase out vaccine mandates with health workers being last.
"Vaccine passes and mandates made sense under Delta. They don’t under Omicron," says COVID-19 Response spokesperson Chris Bishop.
"The public health rationale for vaccine passes just isn’t there anymore, and they are now putting unjustified limits on people’s rights. It will be logistically impossible to apply the vaccine pass system to Australians anyway, and we’ll be a month on from the Omicron peak by then.
"The mandates have created a real sense of division in New Zealand. Many unvaccinated people have been excluded from society – 13-year-olds who can’t play rugby with their mates, people who have lost jobs, and people unable to go out to dinner.
"The Government’s instinct should be to remove restrictions on normal life as soon as they’re no longer justified, not to hang on to them until there is zero risk. Of course, if the risk changes in the future we can always put the Framework back in place.
"Isolation periods for people who get Covid-19 and their household contacts will still be important to limit spread, as well as rapid antigen tests which National has campaigned on for months. Mask-wearing will remain important indoors,
"But overall, we need to send the message that life is returning to normal."
12:30pm - Kia ora, good afternoon and welcome to Newshub's live updates for Friday. We are expecting a press conference from Northern Region Health Coordination Centre representatives at 1pm which we will livestream above.
