The Ministry of Health is reporting nearly 13,000 new cases, 861 hospitalisations, and 11 deaths.
It comes after restrictions were loosened on Friday night, allowing indoor gatherings of 200 people and removing limits on outoor gatherings. Kiwis also no longer need to scan in with the COVID Tracer app.
What you need to know:
- There are 12,882 new community COVID-19 cases to report on Monday.
- Eleven deaths are being reported.
- Here is the breakdown of Monday's cases (PCR & RAT): Northland (445), Auckland (2,300), Waikato (1,215), Bay of Plenty (662), Lakes (360), Hawke’s Bay (701), MidCentral (728), Whanganui (291), Taranaki (544), Tairāwhiti (179), Wairarapa (176), Capital and Coast (918), Hutt Valley (498), Nelson Marlborough (506), Canterbury (2,119), South Canterbury (235), Southern (968), West Coast (32); Unknown (5).
- There are 861 people in hospital, including 21 in ICU.
- Fifty-two new cases have been identified at the border.
- For an overview of the new COVID rules, click here.
Newshub's live updates have now finished.
1:35pm - Here's the Ministry of Health's case summary after Monday's data is included:
1:25pm - COVID-19 restrictions have been loosened, but hospitality venues say it has done little to boost their takings.
Some are warning that businesses will not survive for much longer unless the country is shifted down to the orange level urgently.
Gathering limits indoors have gone from 100 people to 200 and all outdoor gathering limits axed. Outdoor face mask requirements have ended as has the scanning of QR codes.
Auckland CBD restaurant Vivace co-owner Mandy Lusk said there was no uptick in weekend customers.
1:15pm - Vaccinations administered in New Zealand
- Vaccines administered to date: 4,025,410 first doses; 3,973,812 second doses; 34,213 third primary doses; 2,575,127 booster doses: 258,487 paediatric first doses and 71,798 paediatric second doses
- Vaccines administered yesterday: 31 first doses; 87 second doses; 1 third primary doses; 1,101 booster doses; 113 paediatric first doses and 2,756 paediatric second doses
People vaccinated
- All Ethnicities (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 4,054,901 first dose (96.3%); 4,002,146 second dose (95.1%), 2,573,691 boosted (72.7% of those eligible)
- Māori (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 520,238 first dose (91.1%); 502,571 second dose (88%), 228,093 boosted (57.8% of those eligible)
- Pacific Peoples (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 281,496 first dose (98.2%); 276,320 second dose (96.4%), 135,930 boosted (59.3% of those eligible)
- 5 to 11-year-olds all ethnicities: 256,834 first dose (53.9%); 70,223 second dose (14.7%)
- 5 to 11-year-olds - Māori: 40,234 first dose (34.8%); 7,791 second dose (6.7%)
- 5 to 11-year-olds - Pacific Peoples: 23,226 first dose (47%); 3,742 second dose (7.6%)
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 (90.1%); second dose (87.9%); boosted (69.4%)
- Auckland Metro DHB: first dose (97.2%); second dose (96.1%); boosted (71.1%)
- Waikato DHB: first dose (95.1%); second dose (93.5%); boosted (68.3%)
- Bay of Plenty DHB: first dose (95%); second dose (93.3%); boosted (68.1%)
- Lakes DHB: first dose (93.3%); second dose (91.4%); boosted (68.5%)
- MidCentral DHB: first dose (96.5%); second dose (95.2%); boosted (74.1%)
- Tairāwhiti DHB: first dose (93.2%); second dose (90.9%); boosted (68.5%)
- Whanganui DHB: first dose (91.9%); second dose (90.3%); boosted (73.5%)
- Hawke’s Bay DHB: first dose (97.1%); second dose (95.4%); boosted (72.1%)
- Taranaki DHB: first dose (94.6%); second dose (93.2%); boosted (70.1%)
- Wairarapa DHB: first dose (96.4%); second dose (94.9%); boosted (74.8%)
- Capital & Coast DHB: first dose (98.6%); second dose (97.8%); boosted (81.1%)
- Hutt Valley DHB: first dose (96.6%); second dose (95.6%); boosted (76.9%)
- Nelson Marlborough DHB: first dose (96.5%); second dose (95.2%); boosted (75.5%)
- West Coast DHB: first dose (92.6%); second dose (91.1%); boosted (73.2%)
- Canterbury DHB: first dose (99.7%); second dose (98.7%); boosted (75.8%)
- South Canterbury DHB: first dose (94.9%); second dose (93.8%); boosted (76.3%)
- Southern DHB: first dose (98.1%); second dose (97%); boosted (74.8%)
*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 861: Northland: 32; North Shore: 141; Middlemore: 188; Auckland: 144; Waikato: 77; Bay of Plenty: 40; Lakes: 8; Tairāwhiti: 3, Hawke’s Bay: 43; Taranaki: 14; Whanganui: 5; MidCentral: 23; Hutt Valley: 17; Capital and Coast: 31; Wairarapa: 1; Nelson Marlborough: 11; Canterbury: 53; South Canterbury: 4; West Coast: 2; Southern: 24
- Average age of current hospitalisations: 59
- Cases in ICU or HDU: 21
- Vaccination status of current hospitalisations (Northern Region only, excluding Emergency Departments): Unvaccinated or not eligible (89 cases / 19%); partially immunised <7 days from second dose or have only received one dose (13 cases / 3%); double vaccinated at least 7 days before being reported as a case (149 cases / 32%); Received booster at least 7 days before being reported as a case (181 cases / 39%); unknown (38 cases / 8%)
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, 15% 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: 16,102
- Seven day rolling average (as at Monday last week (21 March): 17,124
- Number of new community cases: 12,882
- Number of new community cases (PCR): 171
- Number of new community cases (RAT): 12,711
- Location of new community cases (PCR & RAT): Northland (445), Auckland (2,300), Waikato (1,215), Bay of Plenty (662), Lakes (360), Hawke’s Bay (701), MidCentral (728), Whanganui (291), Taranaki (544), Tairāwhiti (179), Wairarapa (176), Capital and Coast (918), Hutt Valley (498), Nelson Marlborough (506), Canterbury (2,119), South Canterbury (235), Southern (968), West Coast (32); Unknown (5)
- Number of new cases identified at the border: 52
- Number of active community cases (total): 112,701 (cases identified in the past 7 days and not yet classified as recovered)
- Confirmed cases (total): 609,327
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): 1,479
- Number of Rapid Antigen Tests reported total (last 24 hours): 22,873
- PCR tests rolling average (last 7 days): 2,668
- Number of Rapid Antigen Tests dispatched (last 7 days as of 28/03/22): 13.4 million
1:10pm - The Ministry of Health is reporting 12,882 community cases, 861 hospitalisations (21 of whom are in ICU) and 11 deaths.
"These deaths take the total number of publicly reported deaths with COVID-19 to 269 and the 7-day rolling average of reported deaths to 12.
"Of the nine deaths we have full details for, two were from the Auckland region, five from Waikato and one each from MidCentral and Nelson Marlborough.
"Three people were in their 70s, three in their 80s and three people were in their 90s.
"Seven were men and two were women.
"Our thoughts and condolences are with their whānau and friends at this sad time.
"Out of respect, we will be making no further comment. "
1:05pm - A COVID-19 modeller says hundreds more people could die in the first wave of the Omicron outbreak.
The total death toll stands at 258, with the current average of 12 deaths a day of people with COVID-19.
12:55pm - A new study has found three in four people who were hospitalised with Coronavirus reported experiencing at least one Long COVID symptom, which varied depending on which variant they caught.
The study was carried out by researchers at the University of Florence and Careggi University Hospital in Italy.
Study lead Dr Michele Spinicci and other researchers carried out a retrospective observational study of 428 patients treated at Careggi University Hospital's post-COVID outpatient service between June 2020 and June 2021, when the original form of SARS-CoV-2 and the Alpha variant were circulating in the population. Of the 428 patients, 254 (59 percent) were men and 174 (41 percent) were women.
The patients had been hospitalised with COVID-19 and discharged 4-12 weeks before attending a clinical visit at the outpatient service and completing a questionnaire on persistent symptoms.
12:50pm - We will shortly be receiving the latest COVID-19 update. Here's a look at the situation after Sunday's numbers:
12:40pm - New Zealand has overtaken Australia and Canada with weekly COVID-19 deaths per capita at a time when the Government is rolling back restrictions.
However, New Zealand's overall COVID-19 death rate is still much lower than Australia and Canada and a leading health expert says the rolled back restrictions are not expected to increase cases significantly.
12:30pm - Kia ora, good afternoon and welcome to Newshub's live updates for Monday.
We are awaiting the latest COVID update from the Ministry of Health with Monday's figures. There is no press conference planned for 1pm, but the Prime Minister will hold her usual post-Cabinet stand-up at 4pm.
