There are 6232 new community COVID-19 cases on Friday and 390 people in hospital, The Ministry of Health revealed.
The seven-day rolling average of community case numbers ss 6850 – last Friday, it was 6960.
There were also fourteen deaths reported on Friday. Thirteen people died in the past 8 days, while another died in late 2020.
The Ministry said the case had recovered at the time of death but was recently classified as having COVID-19 as a contributory cause of their death.
It brings the total number of publicly reported deaths with COVID-19 to 1210 and the seven-day rolling average of reported deaths is 12.
Of the deaths, one was from Northland; three were from the Auckland region, one was from Taranaki; one from Whanganui; one from the Wellington region; one from Nelson-Marlborough; four from Canterbury; one from South Canterbury and one from Southern.
Two people were in their 60s; three in 70s; three in their 80s and six were aged over 90.
Of these people, four were women and ten were men.
The Ministry also revealed there are four cases of the Omicron subvariant BA.5 and one case of the subvariant BA.4 in the community. These are the first BA.4 and BA.5 cases reported in the community, with no clear link to the border.
There are also seven cases of BA.2.12.1 in the community, from whole genome sequencing of tests returned on May 18.
1:06pm - The Ministry also warned travellers to take care over the Queen's Birthday weekend.
"The long weekend is always an ideal time to get away and relax with whanau and friends – if you are going away, please remember to have plans in place in the event you contract COVID-19 or are identified as a household contact of a case," it said.
The Ministry said if you catch COVID while away, you will need to self-isolate and likely remain wherever you test positive or become a household contact, so there may be extra costs involved in paying for additional accommodation and changing your travel plans.
If you have used your own vehicle to travel, you can travel back to your home to isolate, taking public health measures to ensure you don’t infect anyone on your way home – such as maintaining social distance and using self-service petrol stations.
However, if you have used public transport or travelled between islands, you won’t be able to isolate at your home. So it is important you have a plan and the ability to isolate where you are holidaying, if you need to do so.
1:05pm - Fourteen people have died with the virus. Thirteen people have died in the past 8 days and the Ministry is also reporting the historical death of a case late in 2020.
This case had recovered at the time of death but was recently classified as having COVID-19 as a contributory cause of their death. This will continue to happen occasionally due to the timing of the mortality coding process, particularly in instances where deaths where COVID-19 is a contributory cause, and the death falls outside of the 28 day period of testing positive for COVID.
Today’s reported deaths take the total number of publicly reported deaths with COVID-19 to 1210 and the seven-day rolling average of reported deaths is 12.
Of the people whose deaths are reported today; one was from Northland; three were from the Auckland region, one was from Taranaki; one from Whanganui; one from the Wellington region; one from Nelson-Marlborough; four from Canterbury; one from South Canterbury and one from Southern.
Two people were in their 60s; three in 70s; three in their 80s and six were aged over 90.
Of these people, four were women and ten were men.
Omicron subvariant update
The Ministry is also reporting four cases of the Omicron subvariant BA.5 and one case of the subvariant BA.4 in the community, all based on whole genome sequencing of tests. These are the first BA.4 and BA.5 cases reported in the community, with no clear link to the border.
There are also seven cases of BA.2.12.1 in the community, from whole genome sequencing of tests returned on 18 May.
These Omicron subvariants are prevalent overseas and have been detected at New Zealand's border for many weeks. Their presence in the community is not unexpected and further cases are expected.
Emerging data suggests BA.2.12.1 is marginally more transmissible than BA.2, the dominant subvariant currently circulating in Aotearoa-New Zealand. There is some clinical data to suggest the BA.5 and BA.4 subvariants have increased transmissibility when compared to BA.2, but no data suggesting they cause more severe illness.
The vast majority of recently sequenced cases in New Zealand continue to be of the Omicron BA.2 sub-variant, with small number of cases with the BA.1 sub-variant.
In addition to the community testing, wastewater results returned in the past week have detected BA.4 or BA.5 in Auckland, New Plymouth and Porirua and BA.2.12.1 in Auckland, Bay of Plenty, Palmerston North and Taupō.
Together the community cases and wastewater results suggest that the BA.4/5 and BA.2.12.1 Omicron subvariants are circulating in parts of the community in New Zealand.
The public health settings already in place to manage other Omicron variants are assessed to be appropriate for managing subvariants present in our community and no changes are required.
Next Update
There will be the usual 1pm updates published over the long weekend on Saturday and Sunday. On the public holiday there will be no update. Tuesday’s update will include the figures for Monday.
Vaccinations administered in New Zealand
Vaccines administered to date: 4,027,677 first doses; 3,979,695 second doses; 32,588 third primary doses; 2,660,576 booster doses: 263,069 paediatric first doses and 124,937 paediatric second doses
Vaccines administered yesterday: 43 first doses; 56 second doses; 39 third primary doses; 879 booster doses; 44 paediatric first doses and 230 paediatric second doses
People vaccinated
All ethnicities (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 4,054,573 first dose (96.3%); 4,005,883 second dose (95.2%), 2,641,599 boosted (of the 18+ population) (72.7% of those eligible)
Māori (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 521,420 first dose (91.3%); 504,643 second dose (88.4%), 237,337 boosted (of the 18+ population) (55.8% of those eligible)
Pacific Peoples (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 282,125 first dose (98.4%); 277,337 second dose (96.7%), 142,164 boosted (of the 18+ population) (59.3% of those eligible)
16 to 17 year old booster uptake (all ethnicities): 10,954 boosted (11.8% of those eligible)
16 to 17 year old booster uptake (Māori): 1,017 boosted (6% of those eligible)
16 to 17 year old booster uptake (Pacific Peoples): 569 boosted (6% of those eligible)
5 to 11-year-olds all ethnicities: 259,944 first dose (54.6%); 121,838 second dose (25.6%)
5 to 11-year-olds - Māori: 41,019 first dose (35.5%); 14,184 second dose (12.3%)
5 to 11-year-olds - Pacific Peoples: 23,699 first dose (48%); 7,483 second dose (15.1%)
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%); second dose (88%); boosted (68.9%)
Auckland DHB: first dose (99.1%); second dose (98.2%); boosted (75%)
Counties Manukau DHB: first dose (96.2%); second dose (95%); boosted (68.1%)
Waitemata DHB: first dose (96.5%); second dose (95.6%); boosted (73%)
Waikato DHB: first dose (95%); second dose (93.6%); boosted (68.1%)
Bay of Plenty DHB: first dose (95.1%); second dose (93.4%); boosted (67%)
Lakes DHB: first dose (93%); second dose (91.2%); boosted (67.3%)
MidCentral DHB: first dose (96.3%); second dose (95.1%); boosted (73.5%)
Tairāwhiti DHB: first dose (92.8%); second dose (90.6%); boosted (67.2%)
Whanganui DHB: first dose (91.8%); second dose (90.4%); boosted (72.6%)
Hawke’s Bay DHB: first dose (97.3%); second dose (95.7%); boosted (70.9%)
Taranaki DHB: first dose (94.6%); second dose (93.2%); boosted (69.3%)
Wairarapa DHB: first dose (96.3%); second dose (94.9%); boosted (74.2%)
Capital & Coast DHB: first dose (98.4%); second dose (97.8%); boosted (81.1%)
Hutt Valley DHB: first dose (96.5%); second dose (95.6%); boosted (76.3%)
Nelson Marlborough DHB: first dose (96.4%); second dose (95.2%); boosted (74.7%)
West Coast DHB: first dose (92.6%); second dose (91.2%); boosted (72.5%)
Canterbury DHB: first dose (99.8%); second dose (98.9%); boosted (75.8%)
South Canterbury DHB: first dose (94.5%); second dose (93.5%); boosted (75.5%)
Southern DHB: first dose (98.5%); second dose (97.5%); boosted (74.7%)
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 or 16 and 17 year olds who have become eligible 6 months after having their second dose.
Hospitalisations
*Cases in hospital: total number 390: Northland: 4; *Waitemata: 41; Counties Manukau: 30; Auckland: 78; Waikato: 25; Bay of Plenty: 7; Lakes: 3; Tairāwhiti: 4; Hawke’s Bay: 14; Taranaki: 8; Whanganui: 0; MidCentral: 14; Wairarapa: 4; Hutt Valley: 14; Capital and Coast: 32; Nelson Marlborough: 9; Canterbury: 59; South Canterbury: 10; West Coast: 1; Southern: 33.
*Average age of current hospitalisations: 62
Cases in ICU or HDU: 8
Vaccination status of current hospitalisations (Northern Region only, excluding Emergency Departments): Unvaccinated or not eligible (29 cases / 12%); 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 (52 cases / 22%); Received booster at least 7 days before being reported as a case (144 cases / 62%); Unknown (3 cases / 1%)
*Please note the hospitalisation number for Waitemata DHB is yesterday’s number. We will update it online as soon as it comes through.
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.
Cases
Seven day rolling average of community cases: 6,850
Seven day rolling average (as at same day last week): 6,960
Number of new community cases: 6,232
Number of new community cases (PCR): 214
Number of new community cases (RAT): 6,018
Location of new community cases (PCR & RAT): Northland (161), Auckland (1,907), Waikato (443), Bay of Plenty (196), Lakes (77), Hawke’s Bay (189), MidCentral (227), Whanganui (73), Taranaki (177), Tairāwhiti (45), Wairarapa (55), Capital and Coast (556), Hutt Valley (237), Nelson Marlborough (239), Canterbury (1,007), South Canterbury (99), Southern (467), West Coast (73), Unknown (4)
Number of new imported cases: 69
Number of active community cases (total): 47,933 (cases identified in the past 7 days and not yet classified as recovered)
Confirmed cases (total): 1,179,634
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): 3,038
Number of Rapid Antigen Tests reported total (last 24 hours): 12,563
PCR tests rolling average (last 7 days): 3,034
Number of Rapid Antigen Tests dispatched (last 7 days as of 3 June 2022): 1.5 million.
1:01pm - There are 6232 new community cases, 390 current hospitalisations, and 14 deaths.
The seven-day rolling average of community case numbers today is 6,850 – last Friday, it was 6,960
12:45pm - Friday's COVID update will be released by the Ministry of Health at 1pm.
