News article
Waitematā DHB is only 125 first doses away from 90 percent of its eligible Māori population receiving one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Waitematā DHB will become the eighth DHB to achieve this milestone.
Holiday reminder
Season's Greetings from the Ministry of Health. We’re asking everyone to play their part to reduce the spread of the virus over the break.
The Ministry urges anyone with any symptoms that could be COVID-19, even if they’re away on holiday, to get a test and remain where they are until they receive a negative result and are feeling better. This applies as well to people who are vaccinated with even mild symptoms. For those away on holiday who test positive you will be contacted regarding your ongoing care.
Testing locations nationwide can be found on the Healthpoint website.
People who are out and about are asked to wear a mask and maintain physical distance in crowded or poorly ventilated indoor spaces and scan in using the COVID-19 Tracer app.
The vaccine remains our key defence against all variants of COVID-19, including Omicron. We continue to ask everyone who is eligible to get vaccinated, including people who are now eligible for a booster dose.
COVID-19 vaccine update
- Vaccines administered to date (percentage of eligible people): 3,972,045 first doses (94%); 3,837,202 second doses (91%); 28,011 third primary doses; 276,949 booster doses.
- Vaccines administered yesterday: 199 first doses; 1,559 second doses; 46 third primary doses and 2,345 booster doses.
- Māori (percentage of eligible people): 499,066 first doses (87%); 455,191 second doses (80%)
- Pacific Peoples (percentage of eligible people): 269,224 first doses (94%); 256,127 second doses (89%)
Vaccination rates by DHB with active cases (percentage of eligible people)
- Northland DHB: First doses (88%); second doses (84%)
- Auckland Metro DHBs: First doses (96%); second doses (93%)
- Waikato DHB: First doses (93%); second doses (90%)
- Bay of Plenty DHB: First doses (93%); second doses (89%)
- Lakes DHB: First doses (92%); second doses (87%)
- Taranaki DHB: First doses (93%); second doses (89%)
- Tairāwhiti DHB: First doses (91%); second doses (85%)
- Hutt Valley DHB: First doses (95%); second doses (92%)
- Canterbury DHB: First doses (98%); second doses (95%)
Hospitalisations
- Cases in hospital: 54; Auckland: 19; North Shore: 7; Middlemore: 22; Tauranga: 3; Rotorua: 2; Waikato: 1.
- Vaccination status of current hospitalisations (Northern Region wards only): Unvaccinated or not eligible (19 cases / 46.3%); partially immunised <7 days from second dose or have only received one dose (6 cases / 14.6%); fully vaccinated at least 7 days before being reported as a case (16 cases/ 39%); unknown (0 cases / 0%).
- Average age of current hospitalisations: 51.
- Cases in ICU or HDU: 8 (2 in Auckland; 3 in Middlemore; 2 in Tauranga, 1 in Rotorua).
Cases
- Seven day rolling average of community cases: 48.3
- Number of new community cases: 18
- Number of new cases identified at the border: 16
- Number of new Omicron cases identified at the border: 5, taking total to 54
- Location of new community cases: Auckland (13), Waikato (3), Bay of Plenty (1), and Lakes (1).
- Number of community cases (current community outbreak total): 10,670
- Cases epidemiologically linked (total): 7,966
- Number of active cases (total cases identified in the past 21 days and not yet classed as recovered): 1,334
- Confirmed cases (total): 13,562
Contacts
- Number of active contacts being managed (total): 6,363
- Percentage who have received an outbound call from contact tracers (to confirm testing and isolation requirements): 81%
- Percentage who have returned at least one result: 74%
Tests
- Number of tests total (last 24 hours): 7,540
- Tests rolling average (last 7 days): 14,890
- Auckland tests total (last 24 hours): 3,617
As yesterday was a statutory holiday, testing number remain lower than usual as expected.
Wastewater
- No unexpected wastewater detections to report.
NZ COVID Tracer
- Poster scans in 24 hours to midday yesterday: 2,113,701
- Manual diary entries in 24 hours to midday: 40,536
My Vaccine Pass
- My vaccine passes issued total: 4,553,294
- My vaccine passes issued yesterday: 9,116
|
Arrival date |
From |
Via |
Positive test day/reason |
Managed isolation/ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
24 December |
Australia |
Direct |
Day 1/routine test |
Auckland |
|
16 December |
Qatar |
Australia |
Day 9/routine test |
Auckland |
|
24 December |
United States |
Direct |
Day 1/routine test |
Christchurch |
|
21 December |
United States |
Direct |
Day 5/routine test |
Auckland |
|
21 December |
United States |
Direct |
Day 5/routine test |
Auckland |
|
25 December |
Australia |
Direct |
Day 1/routine test |
Auckland |
|
25 December |
Australia |
Direct |
Day 1/routine test |
Auckland |
|
24 December |
United States |
Direct |
Day 3/routine test |
Christchurch |
|
24 December |
United Kingdom |
United Arab Emirates |
Day 1/routine test |
Auckland |
|
24 December |
Uganda |
United Arab Emirates |
Day 1/routine test |
Rotorua |
|
24 December |
Sri Lanka |
United Arab Emirates |
Day 1/routine test |
Rotorua |
|
25 December |
Australia |
Direct |
Day 1/symptomatic |
Auckland |
|
25 December |
Australia |
Direct |
Day 1/symptomatic |
Auckland |
|
23 December |
Qatar |
Australia |
Day 4/contact of a case |
Auckland |
|
24 December |
United States |
Direct |
Day 3/routine |
Christchurch |
Today’s cases
Today, we are reporting new community cases in Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, and Lakes DHB areas.
Death of a patient with COVID-19
The Ministry of Health is today sadly reporting a woman in her 70s, who had COVID-19, died last night at Middlemore Hospital.
The family has requested that no further details be released and, out of respect for those wishes, we will be making no further comment at this time.
Our thoughts and condolences are with the patient’s family and friends at this deeply sad time.
Auckland
There are 13 new cases being reported in Auckland over the past 24 hours.
Health and welfare providers are now supporting 1,531 people to isolate at home, including 422 cases.
Waikato
There are three new cases in the Waikato today with two in Te Kūiti, and one in Hamilton.
Two were known contacts of previous cases. The remaining case is under investigation.
For details of dedicated testing sites operating over the holiday period, please visit the dedicated DHB page or DHB Facebook page.
In the Waikato, Public Health, primary care and manaaki providers are supporting 66 cases to isolate at home.
Bay of Plenty
There is one new case being reported in the Bay of Plenty today, in Tauranga.
This case is a household contact of a previously reported case and is in isolation.
Lakes
There is one new case being reported in the Lakes DHB area today, in Rotorua.
Investigations into any potential connections to this case are underway.