Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield has revealed the latest COVID-19 figures at a press conference.
The Ministry of Health reported 11,063 community cases, 622 hospitalisations and 16 deaths on Tuesday.
What you need to know:
- New Zealand recorded 11,063 new community COVID cases on Tuesday.
- Sixteen additional deaths of people with COVID-19 were reported.
- Location of Monday's community cases: Northland (559), Auckland (1,984), Waikato (965), Bay of Plenty (536), Lakes (214), Hawke’s Bay (474), MidCentral (534), Whanganui (225), Taranaki (370), Tairāwhiti (111), Wairarapa (137, Capital and Coast (683), Hutt Valley (355), Nelson Marlborough (404), Canterbury (1,813), South Canterbury (250), Southern (1,331), West Coast (108), Unknown (10)
- There are 622 people in hospitals on Sunday, including 23 in ICU.
- Locations of hospitalisations: Northland: 29; Waitemata: 99; Counties Manukau: 100; Auckland: 90; Waikato: 63; Bay of Plenty: 35; Lakes: 7; Tairāwhiti: 3; Hawke’s Bay: 19; Taranaki: 11; Whanganui: 10; MidCentral: 26; Wairarapa: 3; Hutt Valley: 16; Capital and Coast: 15; Nelson Marlborough: 13; Canterbury: 47; South Canterbury: 6; West Coast: 1; Southern: 29
These live updates are now over.
1:25pm - In regards to how New Zealand is addressing the XE variant, Dr Bloomfield says officials are doing genome sequencing on border-related cases. No evidence of the XE variant has been found here yet.
1:20pm - Dr Bloomfield says the third death linked to the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine was a teenager. He says it is "very sad" that the person has died.
The COVID-19 Vaccine Independent Safety Monitoring Board put "a lot of thought and effort" into reaching its conclusion and consulted with the pathologist, Coroner and the person's family, the Director-General says.
The family doesn't want the death to put people off being vaccinated, Dr Bloomfield says. The death was quite sudden and there were no symptoms prior.
1:15pm - The Ministry of Health said while the case numbers continue to trend down, Kiwis should remember "three actions that everyone can do to help protect themselves and others".
"Firstly – be up to date with vaccinations, including a booster if you’ve not yet had one.
"Secondly – wear a mask. Masks are still required in many indoor settings. A good rule of thumb is to wear a mask indoors whenever you’re not at home.
"And thirdly – stay home and avoid others if you’re unwell."
1:10pm -
Vaccinations administered in New Zealand
- Vaccines administered to date: 4,025,980 first doses; 3,976,162 second doses; 31,582 third primary doses; 2,606,617 booster doses: 260,219 paediatric first doses and 101,448 paediatric second doses
- Vaccines administered yesterday: 47 first doses; 137 second doses; 21 third primary doses; 1,640 booster doses; 68 paediatric first doses and 834 paediatric second doses
People vaccinated
- All Ethnicities (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 4,055,826 first dose (96.4%); 4,005,406 second dose (95.2%), 2,603,933 boosted (72.7% of those eligible)
- Māori (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 520,679 first dose (91.2%); 503,540 second dose (88.2%), 231,936 boosted (57.2% of those eligible)
- Pacific Peoples (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 281,706 first dose (98.3%); 276,732 second dose (96.5%), 138,321 boosted (59.3% of those eligible)
- 5 to 11-year-olds all ethnicities: 257,866 first dose (54.1%); 99,164 second dose (20.8%)
- 5 to 11-year-olds - Māori: 40,617 first dose (35.1%); 11,274 second dose (9.8%)
- 5 to 11-year-olds - Pacific Peoples: 23,379 first dose (47.3%); 5,465 second dose (11.1%)
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 (88%); boosted (69.5%)
- Auckland Metro DHB: first dose (97.2%); second dose (96.2%); boosted (71.5%)
- Waikato DHB: first dose (95.1%); second dose (93.6%); boosted (68.4%)
- Bay of Plenty DHB: first dose (95.1%); second dose (93.4%); boosted (67.6%)
- Lakes DHB: first dose (93.2%); second dose (91.4%); boosted (68.2%)
- MidCentral DHB: first dose (96.4%); second dose (95.2%); boosted (74%)
- Tairāwhiti DHB: first dose (93.2%); second dose (90.9%); boosted (68%)
- Whanganui DHB: first dose (91.9%); second dose (90.4%); boosted (73.3%)
- Hawke’s Bay DHB: first dose (97.1%); second dose (95.5%); boosted (71.7%)
- Taranaki DHB: first dose (94.6%); second dose (93.2%); boosted (69.8%)
- Wairarapa DHB: first dose (96.4%); second dose (95%); boosted (74.6%)
- Capital & Coast DHB: first dose (98.5%); second dose (97.8%); boosted (81.2%)
- Hutt Valley DHB: first dose (96.6%); second dose (95.6%); boosted (76.8%)
- Nelson Marlborough DHB: first dose (96.4%); second dose (95.2%); boosted (75.2%)
- West Coast DHB: first dose (92.7%); second dose (91.2%); boosted (73.1%)
- Canterbury DHB: first dose (99.7%); second dose (98.8%); boosted (75.9%)
- South Canterbury DHB: first dose (94.8%); second dose (93.8%); boosted (76.3%)
- Southern DHB: first dose (98.5%); second dose (97.4%); 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 622: Northland: 29; Waitemata: 99; Counties Manukau: 100; Auckland: 90; Waikato: 63; Bay of Plenty: 35; Lakes: 7; Tairāwhiti: 3; Hawke’s Bay: 19; Taranaki: 11; Whanganui: 10; MidCentral: 26; Wairarapa: 3; Hutt Valley: 16; Capital and Coast: 15; Nelson Marlborough: 13; Canterbury: 47; South Canterbury: 6; West Coast: 1; Southern: 29
- *Average age of current hospitalisations: 58
- Cases in ICU or HDU: 23
- Vaccination status of current hospitalisations (Northern Region only, excluding Emergency Departments): Unvaccinated or not eligible (31 cases / 10%); partially immunised <7 days from second dose or have only received one dose (5 cases / 2%); double vaccinated at least 7 days before being reported as a case (46 cases / 15%); Received booster at least 7 days before being reported as a case (61 cases / 20%); unknown (166 cases / 53%)
*Please note the average age of current hospitalisations is for the Northern Region admissions only at this stage. This data is recorded and extracted from the same source as the vaccination status of patients in Northern Region hospitals.
We are currently working on a data solution which would include the average age of current hospitalisations from additional DHBs.
Cases
- Seven day rolling average of community cases: 9,731
- Seven day rolling average (as at same day last week): 12,785
- Number of new community cases: 11,063
- Number of new community cases (PCR): 203
- Number of new community cases (RAT): 10,860
- Location of new community cases (PCR & RAT): Northland (559), Auckland (1,984), Waikato (965), Bay of Plenty (536), Lakes (214), Hawke’s Bay (474), MidCentral (534), Whanganui (225), Taranaki (370), Tairāwhiti (111), Wairarapa (137, Capital and Coast (683), Hutt Valley (355), Nelson Marlborough (404), Canterbury (1,813), South Canterbury (250), Southern (1,331), West Coast (108), Unknown (10)
- Number of new cases identified at the border: 47
- Number of active community cases (total): 68,096 cases identified in the past 7 days and not yet classified as recovered)
- Confirmed cases (total): 784,285
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): 1,885
- Number of Rapid Antigen Tests reported total (last 24 hours): 10,860
- PCR tests rolling average (last 7 days): 2,951
- Number of Rapid Antigen Tests dispatched (last 7 days as of 8 April 2022): 3.7 million.
1:05pm - Dr Ashley Bloomfield says there are 11,063 new community cases, an increase over recent numbers, but this isn't unexpected. He says the rolling seven-day average is 9731, the first time it has been below 10,000 in "quite some time". A week ago, it was 12,785.
There are 622 people in hospital, 23 of whom are in ICU. There are 16 further deaths to report, taking the reported death toll to 516.
"Today we are sadly reporting the deaths of 16 people with COVID-19. The deaths of all 16 people were reported in the past 24 hours," the Ministry of Health says.
"These deaths take the total number of publicly reported deaths with COVID-19 to 516 and the seven-day rolling average of reported deaths is 13.
"Of the people whose deaths we are reporting today, six were from the Auckland region, one was from Waikato, two were from Whanganui, one was from MidCentral, three were from the Wellington region, two were from Canterbury and one was from Southern.
"One person was aged in their 30s, two were aged in their 50s, three in their 70s, six in their 80s, and four were over 90.
"Five were female and 11 were male.
"This is a very sad time for whānau and friends and our thoughts are with them. Out of respect, we will be making no further comment."
12:50pm - We've placed the livestream into the video component above. Refresh your page if you cannot see it. The press conference is expected to begin at 1pm.
12:45pm - Here's what the COVID-19 situation looked like after Monday's figures:
12:40pm - Local bar Woof is biting back at fake bad reviews posted apparently in retaliation for the pub continuing to use COVID vaccine certificates, even though they're no longer compulsory.
Last week Woof told Checkpoint it was keeping the passes because that's what its customers want and it also has a responsibility to do what it can to keep staff too.
That decision unleashed the online trolls but co-owner Dudley Benson was not about to let it slide.
12:30pm - Kia ora, good afternoon and welcome to Newshub's live updates for Tuesday.
We're expecting a press conference at 1pm featuring the Ministry of Health's Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield and Chief Science Advisor Dr Ian Town.
There's a large security presence at the ministry on Tuesday ahead of a planned protest.
