6,984 community cases; 417 hospitalisations; 7 in ICU; 8 deaths

Today we are reporting 6,984 community cases and 417 current hospitalisations.

The seven-day rolling average of community case numbers today is 6,422.

We are sadly reporting the deaths of eight people with COVID-19. All these deaths occurred in the past seven days.

Winter illness

Our traditional winter illnesses are circulating in the community along with COVID-19. This is putting significant pressure on all parts of the health system.

Health services have been planning for a challenging winter and are working regionally to manage capacity and demand, prioritise urgent care and deliver as much planned care as possible.

It helps our health services if everyone does their bit to help us get through winter. The best thing New Zealanders can do to ensure they and their families don’t end up in hospital is to be up-to-date with their flu and COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters.

That’s why the Government this week announced access to free flu vaccines had been widened to an additional 800,000 New Zealanders and second COVID-19 boosters would be available for older New Zealanders.

We want to remind people to keep up good public health habits; wear a mask; physically distance; practise good hand hygiene; and don’t go out if you are unwell but get tested and self-report the result – whether positive or negative – on My COVID Record. This helps us to understand the spread of COVID-19 and where to direct our public health resources.

We also urge whānau to develop a winter plan so family members know what to do if they become unwell. And to get a Winter Wellness Kit together which might include painkillers, a thermometer, tissues, cold and flu medications, enough food and household items for a few days, and a good stock of the regular medicines you or your whanau will need.

The Ministry would like to acknowledge the hard work of health workers across the motu, particularly at this time of significant strain on the system. The work you do is important and valued.

We urge all New Zealanders, if they do face delays in accessing health services, to be patient and kind to their local health workers. Often delays are due to health professionals treating someone more seriously ill first.

COVID-19 Hospitalisations

• COVID-19 Cases in hospital: total number 417: Northland: 3; Waitematā: 88; Counties Manukau: 40; Auckland: 55; Waikato: 32; Bay of Plenty: 10; Lakes: 20; Tairāwhiti: 0; Hawke’s Bay: 14; Taranaki: 11; Whanganui: 3; MidCentral: 12; Wairarapa: 9; Hutt Valley: 11; Capital and Coast: 30; Nelson Marlborough: 9; Canterbury: 41; South Canterbury: 3; West Coast: 0; Southern: 26.
• Weekly COVID-19 Hospitalisations - 7 day rolling average: 377. This time last week: 353 (Thursday 23 June as Friday 24 June was Matariki public holiday)
• Average age of current COVID-19 hospitalisations: 63
• Cases in ICU or HDU: 7
• Vaccination status of new admissions to hospital* (321): Unvaccinated or not eligible (48 cases); partially immunised <7 days from second dose or have only received one dose (3 cases); double vaccinated at least 7 days before being reported as a case (56 cases); Received booster at least 7 days before being reported as a case (214 cases).  

* These are new hospital admissions in the past 7 days prior to yesterday who had COVID at the time of admission or while in hospital, excluding hospitalisations that were admitted and discharged within 24hrs. This data is from DHBs with tertiary hospitals: Auckland, Canterbury, Southern, Counties Manukau, Waikato, Capital & Coast, Waitemata and Northland.

COVID-19 Vaccinations administered

• Vaccines administered to date: 4,028,531 first doses; 3,980,905 second doses; 33,085 third primary doses; 2,701,383 booster doses: 264,216 paediatric first doses and 133,791 paediatric second doses. 
• Vaccines administered yesterday: 43 first doses; 75 second doses; 51 third primary doses; 6,560 booster doses; 38 paediatric first doses and 310 paediatric second doses. 
• More detailed information, including vaccine uptake by DHB area, is available on the Ministry website.

Tests

• Number of PCR tests total (last 24 hours): 3,528
• Number of Rapid Antigen Tests reported total (last 24 hours): 12,627
• PCR tests rolling average (last 7 days): 3,048
• Number of Rapid Antigen Tests dispatched (last seven days as of 29 June 2022): 100,000. Today’s number is not available due to end of financial year stocktakes.

COVID-19 Cases

• Total number of new community cases: 6,984
• Number of new cases that have recently travelled overseas: 211
• Seven day rolling average of community cases: 6,422
• Seven day rolling average of community cases (as at same day last week): 4,817 (Last Thursday 23 June as Friday 24 June was the Matariki public holiday)
• Number of active cases (total): 44,943 (cases identified in the past seven days and not yet classified as recovered)
• Confirmed cases (total): 1,338,446
• New cases by DHB and other more detailed case information

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.

COVID-19 Deaths

• One previously reported death has been reclassified as not a COVID-19 case and has been removed from the total tally.
• Today’s reported deaths take the total number of publicly reported deaths with COVID-19 to 1,529 and the seven-day rolling average of reported deaths is 12.
• Of the people whose deaths we are reporting today; one was from Waikato, three were from the Wellington region, one was from Canterbury; one was from South Canterbury and two were from Southern.
• One person was in their 50s; two were in their 70s; three were in their 80s; and two were aged over 90. Of these people, three were women and five were men.

This is a very sad time for whānau and friends and our thoughts and condolences are with them. Out of respect, we will be making no further comment on these.