A+ blood stocks across New Zealand are now critically low amid the Omicron outbreak and an urgent appeal is being made for people to donate.
The challenges of the country's Omicron outbreak mean donors are cancelling appointments, but demand for A+ blood also spiked 19 percent in the past week.
New Zealand Blood Service (NZBS) national marketing and communications manager Asuka Burge said the situation was serious.
"In the past week, we have had three emergency surgeries which have required 124 units of A+ blood between them (on top of normal demand) and as a result, we urgently need to build stocks of A+ blood.
"This equates to 124 donors' individual donations being used in a very short period - and this has seriously depleted our A+ blood stocks.
"We need healthy, eligible people to book appointments, to ensure we can continue to have enough supply to meet demand."
Burge said about 31 percent of New Zealanders were A+ blood type.
"In the run-up to Easter and ANZAC weekends, NZBS has forecast a shortfall of A+ and urgently needs people to book appointments to donate," she explained.
"If you have booked an appointment, regardless of blood type, we are also urging donors to please keep it if you are in good health."
NZBS said blood donor locations were safe - with personal protective equipment mandatory for all staff.
"Booking an appointment helps NZBS manage the flow and social distancing of people in donor centres at any given time and allows NZBS to forecast supply, ensuring it is collecting enough blood types and blood products.
"Every donation is vital and we are counting on your donations," Burge said.
The NZBS last month told Newshub Kiwis were pulling out of their donation appointments as Omicron cases were growing.
In the first three days of April, New Zealand has recorded more than 30,000 new COVID infections and 58 virus-related deaths. There are currently nearly 95,000 active cases in the community.
Every week, NZBS needed to collect more than 4000 blood and plasma donations to meet demand.
