Increase in booster shots; 31 community cases; 53 people in hospital; 6 in ICU

News article

04 January 2022

Close to 4,500 booster shots were administered yesterday (4,494), a jump of more than 1,500 on the day before.

This increase provides a timely reminder that from tomorrow (Wednesday 5 January), the interval between second doses and boosters reduces from six months to four months.

This means anyone aged 18 and over who had their second vaccination at least four months ago can have their booster dose.

COVID-19 testing also increased in the last 24 hours, with around 1,000 more tests administered than the previous day.

Omicron update

We are today reporting 29 cases identified at the border.  While still awaiting whole genome sequencing of these cases, it is expected that some of these cases will be the Omicron variant.

This variant of COVID-19 continues to be having a significant impact globally, so is not unexpected to see an increase of cases identified at the border.

COVID-19 vaccine update

  • Vaccines administered to date (percentage of eligible people): 3,975,528 first doses (94%); 3,856,703 second doses (92%); 29,226 third primary doses; 333,820 booster doses
  • Vaccines administered yesterday: 363 first doses; 1,306 second doses; 25 third primary doses and 4,494 booster doses.
  • Māori (percentage of eligible people): 500,643 first doses (88%); 462,192 second doses (81%)
  • Pacific Peoples (percentage of eligible people): 271,432 first doses (95%); 259,464 second doses (91%)

Vaccination rates by DHB with active cases (percentage of eligible people)

  • Northland DHB: First doses (89%); second doses (84%)
  • Auckland Metro DHBs: First doses (96%); second doses (94%)
  • Waikato DHB: First doses (94%); second doses (90%)
  • Bay of Plenty DHB: First doses (93%); second doses (90%)
  • Lakes DHB: First doses (92%); second doses (88%)
  • Taranaki DHB: First doses (93%); second doses (89%)
  • Tairāwhiti DHB: First doses (91%); second doses (86%)
  • Hawke’s Bay DHB: First doses (95%); second doses (91%)
  • Canterbury DHB: First doses (98%); second doses (95%)

Hospitalisations

Cases in hospital: 53; North Shore: 9; Auckland: 16; Middlemore: 22; Tauranga: 5 Rotorua: 1

Vaccination status of current hospitalisations (Northern Region wards only): Unvaccinated or not eligible (20 cases / 46.5%); partially immunised <7 days from second dose or have only received one dose (8 cases / 18.6%); fully vaccinated at least 7 days before being reported as a case (14 cases / 32.6%); 1 unknown (2.3%).

Average age of current hospitalisations: 53

Cases in ICU or HDU: 6 (3 in Middlemore; 3 in Tauranga)

Cases

  • Seven day rolling average of community cases: 43.4
  • Number of new community cases: 31
  • Number of new cases identified at the border: 29
  • Location of new community cases: Auckland (14), Waikato (1), Bay of Plenty (12), Lakes (4)
  • Number of community cases (total): 10,985 (in current community outbreak)
  • Cases epidemiologically linked (total): 8,268
  • Number of active cases (total): 1,143 (cases identified in the past 21 days and not yet classified as recovered)
  • Confirmed cases (total): 13,992

Contacts

  • Number of active contacts being managed (total): 5,426
  • Percentage who have received an outbound call from contact tracers (to confirm testing and isolation requirements): 83%
  • Percentage who have returned at least one result: 78%

Tests

  • Number of tests total (last 24 hours): 8,661
  • Tests rolling average (last 7 days): 11,148
  • Auckland tests total (last 24 hours): 3,956

Wastewater

No unexpected detections

NZ COVID Tracer

Poster scans in the 24 hours to midday yesterday: 1,920,212

Manual diary entries in the 24 hours to midday: 39,515

My Vaccine Pass

  • My vaccine pass downloads total: 4,633,089
  • My vaccine pass downloads (last 24 hours): 7,572
New cases identified at the border

Arrival date 

From 

Via 

Positive test day/reason 

Managed isolation/quarantine location 

28 December

United Kingdom

Singapore

Day 3 / routine

Christchurch

28 December

Philippines

Singapore

Day 3 / routine

Christchurch

30 December

India

United Arab Emirates

Day 3 / routine

Auckland

25 December

Fiji

Direct

Day 8 / routine

Auckland

28 December

Australia

Direct

Day 5 / routine

Auckland

29 December

Australia

Direct

Day 3 / routine

Auckland

29 December

India

United Arab Emirates

Day 3 / contact of a case

Auckland

27 December

United Arab Emirates

Direct

Day 6 / routine

Auckland

27 December

United Kingdom

United Arab Emirates

Day 6 / contact of a case

Auckland

28 December

Australia

Direct

Day 5 / contact of a case

Auckland

30 December

Australia

Direct

Day 3 / contact of a case

Auckland

28 December

USA

Direct

Day 5 / routine

Auckland

31 December

United Arab Emirates

Direct

Day 5 / routine

Auckland

1 January

Qatar

Direct

Day 1 / routine

Auckland

1 January

Qatar

Direct

Day 1 / routine

Auckland

1 January

Qatar

Direct

Day 1 / routine

Auckland

2 January

USA

Direct

Day 0 / routine

Auckland

1 January

Qatar

Direct

Day 1 / routine

Auckland

1 January

Qatar

Direct

Day 1 / routine

Auckland

30 December

Australia

Direct

Day 3 / routine

Auckland

30 December

Pakistan

United Arab Emirates

Day 3 / routine

Auckland

1 January

Qatar

Direct

Day 2 / routine

Auckland

1 January

Qatar

Direct

Day 1 / routine

Auckland

1 January

Qatar

Direct

Day 1 / routine

Auckland

30  December

United Arab Emirates

Direct

Day 1 / routine

Auckland

2 January

USA

Direct

Day 0 / routine

Auckland

30 December

Australia

Direct

Day 1 / routine

Auckland

30 December

United Arab Emirates

Direct

Day 3 / routine

Auckland

30 December

Australia

Direct

Day 1 / routine

Auckland

Today’s cases

Today, we are reporting new community cases in Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty and Lakes.

Regional updates

We are continuing to ask anyone in New Zealand with symptoms – no matter how mild – to get tested, even if you’re vaccinated. Please stay at home until you return a negative test result. Testing and vaccination centre locations nationwide can be found on the Healthpoint website.

Auckland

There are 14 new cases being reported in Auckland today.

Health and welfare providers are now supporting 1,174 people to isolate at home, including 340 cases.

Household contact of border-related case tests positive

Today we are reporting a third border-related case with the Omicron variant.

Today’s case is a household contact of the Air New Zealand crew member who tested positive last week with the Omicron variant.

The household contact has been in isolation during their symptomatic period. Public health staff are continuing to investigate however at this stage there are no locations of interest or exposure events.

The household contact has now been transferred to a MIQ facility. The second household contact, who’s also in isolation, continues to test negative.

The case is fully vaccinated.

Waikato

There is one new case in Waikato today. The case is in Waharoa and has been linked to previous cases.

Pop-up testing sites are operating in Waihi and Whitianga today. For details of all dedicated testing sites operating over the holiday period, please visit the DHB page or DHB Facebook page.

Public Health staff, primary care and manaaki providers in the region are currently supporting 56 cases to isolate at home.

Bay of Plenty

There are twelve new cases to report in Bay of Plenty today.  Eleven of these cases are in Tauranga and one case in the Western Bay of Plenty district.

Of today’s cases, eight are linked to previously reported cases, and the rest are being investigated for potential links.

Lakes

There are four new cases to report in Rotorua. All cases are linked to previously reported cases.

Updated information

Some statistics posted on the Ministry of Health website yesterday were incorrect due a coding error. The figures relating to the vaccination status of hospitalised cases have been updated.

Media releases over the Christmas break

Over the Christmas break there will be regular COVID-19 updates published and tweeted each day apart from:

  • Saturday 8 January.
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