The number of new cases of COVID-19 has dropped for a second day, with 7068 infections recorded on Saturday - down from 7441 on Friday.
Eighteen additional deaths have been reported, with 398 people in hospital with the virus - eight of whom are in intensive care.
Director-General of Health, Dr Ashley Bloomfield, held his first media conference in weeks on Friday. The stand-up was held amid concerns New Zealand will be hit with a second wave of the Omicron variant during the winter months.
What you need to know
- All of New Zealand is at the orange setting of the traffic light framework.
- New Zealand has recorded 7068 new community cases of COVID-19 on Saturday.
- Eighteen additional deaths have been reported.
- There are 398 people in hospital, eight of whom are in the ICU.
The locations of the new community cases are as follows: Northland (202), Auckland (2409), Waikato (507), Bay of Plenty (200), Lakes (120), Hawke's Bay (219), MidCentral (237), Whanganui (55), Taranaki (198), Tairāwhiti (57), Wairarapa (75), Capital and Coast (459), Hutt Valley (228), Nelson Marlborough (209), Canterbury (1096), South Canterbury (105), Southern (619), West Coast (69), Unknown (4).
1:11pm - Here's the latest update on testing:
Tests
Number of PCR tests, total (last 24 hours): 3722
Number of Rapid Antigen Tests reported, total (last 24 hours): 14,412
PCR tests rolling average (last seven days): : 3546
Number of Rapid Antigen Tests dispatched (last seven days as of May 13, 2022): 1.7 million.
1:09pm - Here is the full update on today's cases from the Ministry of Health:
Cases
Seven-day rolling average of community cases: 7595
Seven-day rolling average (as at same day last week): 7512
Number of new community cases: 7068
Number of new community cases (PCR): 225
Number of new community cases (RAT): 6843
Location of new community cases (PCR & RAT): Northland (202), Auckland (2,409), Waikato (507), Bay of Plenty (200), Lakes (120), Hawke's Bay (219), MidCentral (237), Whanganui (55), Taranaki (198), Tairāwhiti (57), Wairarapa (75), Capital and Coast (459), Hutt Valley (228), Nelson Marlborough (209), Canterbury (1,096), South Canterbury (105), Southern (619), West Coast (69), Unknown (4)
Number of new cases identified at the border: 62
Number of active community cases (total): 53,151 (cases identified in the past seven days and not yet classified as recovered)
Confirmed cases (total): 1,033,756.
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.
1:08pm - Here is the latest update on hospitalisations:
Hospitalisations
- Cases in hospital: 398
- Northland: 9; Waitemata: 48; Counties Manukau: 41; Auckland*: 100; Waikato: 39; Bay of Plenty: 10; Lakes: 3; Tairāwhiti: 0; Hawke's Bay*: 11; Taranaki: 8; Whanganui: 1; MidCentral: 21; Wairarapa: 2; Hutt Valley: 9; Capital and Coast: 13; Nelson Marlborough: 6; Canterbury: 52; South Canterbury: 3; West Coast: 4; Southern: 18
- **Average age of current hospitalisations: 60
- Cases in ICU or HDU: 8
Vaccination status of current hospitalisations (Northern Region only, excluding Emergency Departments): Unvaccinated or not eligible (28 cases / 12 pct); partially immunised <7 days from second dose or have only received one dose (6 cases / 3 pct); double vaccinated at least 7 days before being reported as a case (59 cases / 25 pct); Received booster at least 7 days before being reported as a case (139 cases / 59 pct); unknown (3 cases / 1 pct).
* Please note numbers for Auckland and Hawke's Bay have not been provided today and are from the hospitalisation figures reported on May 13.
** 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.
1:07pm - Here is an update on Aotearoa's vaccination rates:
Vaccinations administered in New Zealand
Vaccines administered to date: 4,026,960 first doses; 3,978,725 second doses; 32,092 third primary doses; 2,643,706 booster doses: 262,120 paediatric first doses and 120,122 paediatric second doses
Vaccines administered yesterday: 26 first doses; 57 second doses; 39 third primary doses; 1,093 booster doses; 38 paediatric first doses and 272 paediatric second doses.
People vaccinated
All ethnicities (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 4,055,385 first dose (96.3 pct); 4,006,497 second dose (95.2 pct), 2,638,002 boosted (70.8 pct of those eligible)
Māori (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 521,158 first dose (91.3 pct); 504,303 second dose (88.3 pct), 236,243 boosted (54 pct of those eligible)
Pacific Peoples (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 281,996 first dose (98.4 pct); 277,144 second dose (96.7 pct), 140,855 boosted (56.6 pct of those eligible)
5 to 11-year-olds all ethnicities: 259,193 first dose (54.4 pct); 117,235 second dose (24.6 pct)
5 to 11-year-olds - Māori: 40,874 first dose (35.4 pct); 13,458 second dose (11.6 pct)
5 to 11-year-olds - Pacific Peoples: 23,549 first dose (47.7 pct); 6,852 second dose (13.9 pct).
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 pct); second dose (88 pct); boosted (67.3 pct)
Auckland DHB: first dose (99.1 pct); second dose (98.2 pct); boosted (73 pct)
Counties Manukau DHB: first dose (96.2 pct); second dose (95 pct); boosted (65.7 pct)
Waitemata DHB: first dose (96.5 pct); second dose (95.6 pct); boosted (70.8 pct)
Waikato DHB: first dose (95.1 pct); second dose (93.6 pct); boosted (66.2 pct)
Bay of Plenty DHB: first dose (95.1 pct); second dose (93.4 pct); boosted (65.5 pct)
Lakes DHB: first dose (93.1 pct); second dose (91.3 pct); boosted (65.8 pct)
MidCentral DHB: first dose (96.4 pct); second dose (95.1 pct); boosted (71.8 pct)
Tairāwhiti DHB: first dose (93 pct); second dose (90.8 pct); boosted (65.3 pct)
Whanganui DHB: first dose (91.9 pct); second dose (90.4 pct); boosted (71 pct)
Hawke's Bay DHB: first dose (97.3 pct); second dose (95.7 pct); boosted (69.3 pct)
Taranaki DHB: first dose (94.6 pct); second dose (93.3 pct); boosted (67.6 pct)
Wairarapa DHB: first dose (96.4 pct); second dose (94.9 pct); boosted (72.6 pct)
Capital & Coast DHB: first dose (98.4 pct); second dose (97.8 pct); boosted (79.2 pct)
Hutt Valley DHB: first dose (96.6 pct); second dose (95.6 pct); boosted (74.5 pct)
Nelson Marlborough DHB: first dose (96.4 pct); second dose (95.2 pct); boosted (73.1 pct)
West Coast DHB: first dose (92.6 pct); second dose (91.2 pct); boosted (71.1 pct)
Canterbury DHB: first dose (99.8 pct); second dose (98.9 pct); boosted (74.1 pct)
South Canterbury DHB: first dose (94.7 pct); second dose (93.7 pct); boosted (74.1 pct)
Southern DHB: first dose (98.5 pct); second dose (97.5 pct); boosted (72.9 pct).
Partial and second doses percentages are for those 12+. Boosted percentages are for 18+ who have become eligible three months after having their second dose, or 16 and 17 year olds who have become eligible six months after having their second dose.
1:05pm - The Ministry of Health has provided an update on the 18 additional deaths recorded:
"Today we are sadly reporting the deaths of 18 people with COVID-19. The deaths being reported today include 10 people who have died over the past two days and eight people who has died since April 28.
"These deaths take the total number of publicly reported deaths with COVID-19 to 958 and the 7-day rolling average of reported deaths is 15.
"Of the people whose deaths we are reporting today; two people were from Northland; four were from Auckland; three were from Waikato, one was was Lakes DHB, two were from MidCentral, two were from the Wellington region, one was form the West Coast, one was from Canterbury, one was from South Canterbury and one from Southern.
"One person was in their 40s, one in their 60s, five in their 70s; five in their 80s and six were aged over 90. Of these people, nine were women and nine were men.
"This is a very sad time for whānau and friends and our thoughts and condolences are with them at this time. Out of respect, we will be making no further comment."
1:03pm - There are 7068 new cases of COVID-19 to report on Saturday, the Ministry of Health has confirmed.
Eighteen people have died and there are 398 cases currently in hospital.
Standby for the full statement.
12:50pm - This morning it was announced that Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has tested positive for COVID-19 after her partner, Clarke Gayford, contracted the virus last week.
In a statement issued by her press secretary, it was also confirmed that the couple's daughter, Neve, tested positive for the virus on Wednesday.
This means Ardern will be in isolation until next Saturday, missing out key events in Parliament this coming week such as the 2022 Budget announcement.
12:40pm - Kia ora, good afternoon and welcome to Newshub's live updates for Saturday, May 14. We are expecting the Ministry of Health to provide an update on the latest COVID-19 numbers at around 1pm.
We will publish the update as soon as it is available.
