The Ministry of Health reported more than 18,000 new cases across the community on Saturday, with 939 people in hospital with COVID-19.
As we come through the Omicron peak, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has warned we may face more peaks in the future.
It comes as the National Party has called to scrap the COVID protection framework.
What you need to know:
There were 18,514 new community COVID cases recorded today
Location of new community cases (PCR & RAT): Northland (643), Auckland (4,346), Waikato (1,729), Bay of Plenty (1,221), Lakes (541), Hawke’s Bay (1,108), MidCentral (847), Whanganui (273), Taranaki (601), Tairāwhiti (365), Wairarapa (260), Capital and Coast (1,237), Hutt Valley (697), Nelson Marlborough (457), Canterbury (2,694), South Canterbury (217), Southern (1,224), West Coast (42); Unknown (12)
There are 939 people in hospital, including 24 in ICU
The average age of current hospitalisations: 57
Locations of hospitalisations: Northland: 29; North Shore: 169; Middlemore: 218; Auckland: 208; Waikato: 58; Bay of Plenty: 33; Lakes: 6; Tairāwhiti: 4, Hawke’s Bay: 29; Taranaki: 6; MidCentral: 19; Hutt Valley: 20; Capital and Coast: 50; Wairarapa: 5; Whanganui: 3; Nelson Marlborough: 11; Canterbury: 48; South Canterbury: 1; Southern: 22
Vaccination status of current hospitalisations (Northern Region only, excluding Emergency Departments): Unvaccinated or not eligible (103 cases / 17.8%); partially immunised <7 days from second dose or have only received one dose (14 cases / 2.4%); double vaccinated at least 7 days before being reported as a case (202 cases / 35%); Received booster at least 7 days before being reported as a case (221 cases / 38.2%); unknown (38 cases / 6.6%)
Number of new cases identified at the border: 45
These live updates have now finished.
4:00pm - Samoan health officials have identified 45 positive community cases of COVID, following the country's first community case recorded on Thursday.
The Samoan Government confirmed there were 34 new cases on Friday night after the announcement by Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata'afa of 11 cases that upgraded the alert level to level 3.
In a media release, officials said 17 of the cases have developed into mild to moderate symptoms.
2:30pm - Vaccine passes could be gone by April 13 when Australian tourists arrive.
The use of mandates could be dropped for may proffessions as well, execpt it's likely health workers and aged care will remain having to be fully vaccinated.
Read the full story here.
1:10pm - Here is the full data just in from the Ministry of Health:
COVID-19 related deaths
Sadly, 10 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 166 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-19 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-19.
Of the 10 people who have died, one was from Northland, three were from Auckland, one from Waikato, two were from Bay of Plenty, two were from the Lakes DHB area, and one was from the Wellington.
Of these people, one was in their 40s, two in their 60s, four in their 80s, and three were in their 90s. Six were women and four were men.
Our thoughts are with their family and friends at this sad time and we will be making no further comment.
Vaccinations administered in New Zealand
- Vaccines administered to date: 4,024,159 first doses; 3,971,385 second doses; 34,217 third primary doses; 2,545,448 booster doses: 256,225 paediatric first doses and 29,671 paediatric second doses
- Vaccines administered yesterday: 264 first doses; 478 second doses; 35 third primary doses; 5,568 booster doses; 386 paediatric first doses and 5,612 paediatric second doses
People vaccinated
- All Ethnicities (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 4,053,019 first dose (96.3%); 3,999,732 second dose (95%), 2,544,693 boosted (72.8% of those eligible)
- Māori (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 519,832 first dose (91%); 501,735 second dose (87.9%), 224,421 boosted (58.9% of those eligible)
- Pacific Peoples (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 281,207 first dose (98.1%); 275,913 second dose (96.2%), 133,735 boosted (59.6% of those eligible)
- 5 to 11-year-olds all ethnicities: 255,554 first dose (53.7%); 29,068 second dose (6.1%)
- 5 to 11-year-olds - Māori: 39,740 first dose (34.4%); 3,475 second dose (3%)
- 5 to 11-year-olds - Pacific Peoples: 22,980 first dose (46.5%); 1,684 second dose (3.4%)
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 (69.7%)
- Auckland Metro DHB: first dose (97.2%); second dose (96.1%); boosted (70.9%)
- Waikato DHB: first dose (95%); second dose (93.5%); boosted (68.5%)
- Bay of Plenty DHB: first dose (94.9%); second dose (93.2%); boosted (68.6%)
- Lakes DHB: first dose (93.2%); second dose (91.4%); boosted (69%)
- MidCentral DHB: first dose (96.4%); second dose (95.1%); boosted (74.5%)
- Tairāwhiti DHB: first dose (93.2%); second dose (90.8%); boosted (69.6%)
- Whanganui DHB: first dose (91.9%); second dose (90.3%); boosted (74%)
- Hawke’s Bay DHB: first dose (97%); second dose (95.2%); boosted (72.6%)
- Taranaki DHB: first dose (94.5%); second dose (93.1%); boosted (70.2%)
- Wairarapa DHB: first dose (96.4%); second dose (94.9%); boosted (75.1%)
- 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 (92.6%); 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 (76.7%)
- Southern DHB: first dose (98.1%); 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 939: Northland: 29; North Shore: 169; Middlemore: 218; Auckland: 208; Waikato: 58; Bay of Plenty: 33; Lakes: 6; Tairāwhiti: 4, Hawke’s Bay: 29; Taranaki: 6; MidCentral: 19; Hutt Valley: 20; Capital and Coast: 50; Wairarapa: 5; Whanganui: 3; Nelson Marlborough: 11; Canterbury: 48; South Canterbury: 1; Southern: 22
- Average age of current hospitalisations: 57
- Cases in ICU or HDU: 24
- Vaccination status of current hospitalisations (Northern Region only, excluding Emergency Departments): Unvaccinated or not eligible (103 cases / 17.8%); partially immunised <7 days from second dose or have only received one dose (14 cases / 2.4%); double vaccinated at least 7 days before being reported as a case (202 cases / 35%); Received booster at least 7 days before being reported as a case (221 cases / 38.2%); unknown (38 cases / 6.6%)
*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, 16.3% 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: 17,641
- Number of new community cases: 18,514
- Number of new community cases (PCR): 529
- Number of new community cases (RAT): 17,985
- Location of new community cases (PCR & RAT): Northland (643), Auckland (4,346), Waikato (1,729), Bay of Plenty (1,221), Lakes (541), Hawke’s Bay (1,108), MidCentral (847), Whanganui (273), Taranaki (601), Tairāwhiti (365), Wairarapa (260), Capital and Coast (1,237), Hutt Valley (697), Nelson Marlborough (457), Canterbury (2,694), South Canterbury (217), Southern (1,224), West Coast (42); Unknown (12)
- Number of new cases identified at the border: 45
- Number of active community cases (total): 123,481 (cases identified in the past 7 days and not yet classified as recovered)
- Confirmed cases (total): 470,097
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): 3,828
- Number of Rapid Antigen Tests reported total (last 24 hours): 36,134
- PCR tests rolling average (last 7 days): 4,044
- Number of Rapid Antigen Tests dispatched (last 7 days as of 15/03/22): 10.8 million (Please note that this number is not updated over the weekend and reflects the number of tests as of Friday.)
1:05pm - Today the Ministry of Health is reporting 18,514 new community cases, 939 people in hospital, 24 in ICU and 10 COVID related deaths.
12:45pm - As we wait for today's case numbers, health officials are urging Kiwis to report their rapid antigen test results whether the result is positive or negative.
Experts say recording your result helps the country understand transmission within households and how COVID-19 is spreading throughout communities.
It also helps determine how public health resources are used and is important if your condition worsens and you require additional healthcare.
You can upload your test results to My COVID Record.
12:30pm - Kia ora, good afternoon and welcome to Newshub's live updates of the COVID-19 outbreak for Saturday.
We are currently awaiting the Ministry of Health's daily update and will bring that to you as soon as it arrives.
