COVID-19 Trends and Insights

The Ministry’s Trends and Insights report provides valuable information from interpreting recent data. However, they reflect one point in time and, as we know, the COVID-19 situation can change rapidly. Updated information to accompany the latest report includes:

• There were 117 reported cases per 100,000 in the week ending 18 December, which was a 7% increase from the previous week (ending 11 December). This was lowest increase seen in the past 5 weeks. The latest Trends and Insights report uses data to the week ending 11 December, when reported cases rose 16% on the previous week.
• The number of patients in hospital with COVID-19 has increased as of midnight Sunday 18 December, with 581 in hospital with COVID-19 compared to 514 from the previous Sunday 11 December.
• The number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 remains stable. Trends in death rates tend to lag behind trends in cases and hospitalisations.
• The Ministry will continue to closely monitor the circulation of new variants and trends in cases to inform our COVID-19 response.
• Being up-to-date with COVID-19 vaccination – including with your booster vaccination, continues to be your best protection against hospitalisation and severe disease. The current vaccines remain effective at reducing risk of severe disease if you are infected with any of the subvariants currently circulating.

If you test positive, stay home and isolate. If you think you may be eligible for antiviral medicines, call your pharmacist or usual healthcare provider and ask for a phone appointment to talk about whether antivirals are right for you. You can have the medicine delivered by friends, whānau or the pharmacy’s delivery service. Antiviral medicines must be started within 5 days of becoming sick with COVID-19. Have RATs on hand so you can test yourself as soon as you feel sick

The Ministry’s Trends and Insights report provides valuable information from interpreting recent data. However, they reflect one point in time and, as we know, the COVID-19 situation can change rapidly. Updated information to accompany the latest report includes:

• COVID-19 cases have increased in the past week (ending 11  December). There are currently about 109 cases per 100,000, which is a 16% increase from the previous week (ending 4 December). The latest Trends and Insights report uses data to the week ending 4 December, when cases rose 28% on the previous week.
• The number of patients in hospital with COVID-19 has increased as of midnight Sunday 11 December, with 514 in hospital with COVID-19 compared to 418 from the previous Sunday 4 December.
• The number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 remains stable. Trends in death rates tend to lag behind trends in cases and hospitalisations.
• The Ministry will continue to closely monitor the circulation of new variants and trends in cases to inform our COVID-19 response.
• Being up-to-date with COVID-19 vaccination – including with your booster vaccination, continues to be your best protection against hospitalisation and severe disease. The current vaccines remain effective at reducing risk of severe disease if you are infected with any of the subvariants currently circulating.
• We strongly recommend people continue to wear masks in high risk settings, such as closed or crowded spaces with poor ventilation.
• If you test positive, stay home and isolate. If you think you may be eligible for antiviral medicines, call your pharmacist or usual healthcare provider and ask for a phone appointment to talk about whether antivirals are right for you. You can have the medicine delivered by friends, whānau or the pharmacy’s delivery service. Antiviral medicines must be started within 5 days of becoming sick with COVID-19. Have RATs on hand so you can test yourself as soon as you feel sick.

The Ministry’s Trends and Insights report provides valuable information from interpreting recent data. However, they reflect one point in time and, as we know, the COVID-19 situation can change rapidly. Updated information to accompany the latest report includes:

• COVID-19 cases have increased in the past week (ending 20 November). There are currently about 66 cases per 100,000, which was a 12% increase from the previous week (ending 13 November). The latest Trends and Insights report uses data to the week ending 13 November, when cases rose 4% on the previous week. 
• The number of patients in hospital with COVID-19 remains stable as of midnight Sunday 20 November, with 344 in hospital with COVID-19 compared to 339 from the previous Sunday (13 November). 
• The number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 remains stable. Trends in death rates tend to lag behind trends in cases and hospitalisations. 
• The Ministry will continue to closely monitor the circulation of new variants and trends in cases to inform our COVID-19 response. 
• Being up-to-date with COVID-19 vaccination – including with your booster vaccination, continues to be your best protection against hospitalisation and severe disease. The current vaccines remain effective at reducing risk of severe disease if you are infected with any of the subvariants currently circulating. 
• We continue to remind people to stay home if sick, even if you have had COVID-19 before, and do a RAT and record the result to help us monitor trends in case numbers. We strongly recommend people continue to wear masks in high-risk settings, such as closed, close contact or crowded spaces with poor ventilation