There are five new community cases of Covid-19 in the Bay of Plenty today with 28 across the nation.

All five of these cases are in the Tauranga area. Four of these cases are close contacts of previously reported cases and interviews continue to determine a link for the fifth case.

All cases are isolating at home or in managed accommodation.

There are also two further cases in Rotorua today.

Both cases are linked to previously reported cases and are isolating at home or in managed accommodation.

There are currently four people in Tauranga hospital with Covid-19, one of which remains in ICU or HDU.

As well as the 28 community cases across New Zealand today there are 13 people at the border with Covid-19.

'New Zealand continues to see many border cases arriving from overseas, reflecting the growing number of Omicron cases globally,” says a MOH statement.

The seven-day rolling average of border cases is 29.

Capital and Coast will become the first DHB area to reach the 90 per cent fully vaccinated milestone for Māori today. When the region's clinics closed for the day yesterday, they were only 32 second doses short and they're expected to reach this significant milestone at some point today.

Not far behind in reaching 90 per cent fully vaccinated for their eligible Māori populations are Canterbury and Auckland DHBs, who may get there next week.

Forty two percent of the population currently eligible have now received their booster shot.

'We are strongly recommending boosters for anyone over the age of 18 who had their second vaccine dose at least four months ago,” says a MOH spokesperson.

'Vaccination remains our key defence against all variants of Covid-19 including Omicron.”

Covid-19 vaccine update

• Vaccines administered to date (percentage of eligible people): 3,985,095 first doses (95%); 3,886,724 second doses (92%); 33,993 third primary doses; 637,058 booster doses
• Vaccines administered yesterday: 1,437 first doses; 3,842 second doses; 630 third primary doses and 41,853 booster doses.
• Māori (percentage of eligible people): 504,769 first doses (88%); 472,228 second doses (83%).
• Pacific Peoples (percentage of eligible people): 273,461 first doses (95%); 263,598 second doses (92%).

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

• Northland DHB: First doses (89%); second doses (85%)
• Auckland Metro DHBs: First doses (96%); second doses (95%)
• Waikato DHB: First doses (94%); second doses (91%)
• Bay of Plenty DHB: First doses (94%); second doses (91%)
• Lakes DHB: First doses (92%); second doses (89%)
• Taranaki DHB: First doses (94%); second doses (91%)
• Tairāwhiti DHB: First doses (92%); second doses (87%)
• Hawke's Bay DHB: First doses (95%); second doses (92%)
• Wairarapa DHB: First doses (95%); second doses (93%)
• Capital and Coast DHB: First doses (98%); second doses (96%)
• Hutt Valley DHB: First doses (96%); second doses (94%)
• Canterbury DHB: First doses (98%); second doses (96%)

Hospitalisations

• Cases in hospital: 34; North Shore: 4; Auckland: 8; Middlemore: 17; Tauranga: 4; Waikato 1
• Vaccination status of current hospitalisations (Northern Region wards only): Unvaccinated or not eligible (25 cases / 61%); partially immunised
• Average age of current hospitalisations: 49
• Cases in ICU or HDU: 2; Middlemore: 1; Tauranga: 1

Cases

• Seven day rolling average of community cases: 30
• Seven day rolling average of border cases: 29
• Number of new community cases: 28
• Number of new cases identified at the border: 13
• Location of new community cases: Auckland (9), Waikato (3), Bay of Plenty (5), Lakes (2), Wairarapa (4), Hutt Valley (2), Canterbury (3),
• Number of community cases (total): 11,236 (in current community outbreak)
• Cases epidemiologically linked (total): 8,513
• Number of active cases (total): 639 (cases identified in the past 21 days and not yet classified as recovered)
• Confirmed cases (total): 14,512

Contacts

• Number of active contacts being managed (total): 4,733
• Percentage who has received an outbound call from contact tracers (to confirm testing and isolation requirements): 82%
• Percentage who has returned at least one result: 80%

Tests

• Number of tests total (last 24 hours): 16,990
• Tests rolling average (last 7 days): 15,208
• Auckland tests total (last 24 hours): 5,556

Wastewater

• There has been a wastewater detection in Kawerau, in the Bay of Plenty on 10 January.

NZ COVID Tracer

• Poster scans in the 24 hours to midday yesterday: 2,419,339
• Manual diary entries in the 24 hours to midday: 43,460

My Vaccine Pass

• My vaccine pass downloads total: 4,757,806
• My vaccine pass downloads (last 24 hours): 15,540

COVID tracer app notifications

An intermittent technical issue for with the Covid Tracer mobile phone notification system has meant that some notifications to individuals who have scanned into a location of interest recently have been delayed by around 24 hours, but notifications have now been sent.

The issue affected recent notifications sent out about some of the larger festivals in the past two weeks. The Ministry's locations of interest page is updated each day and the Ministry recommends it should be regularly checked by the public.

The issue has now been resolved.

Today's cases

There are also new community cases today in Auckland, Waikato, Hutt, Wairarapa and Canterbury.

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. We are also asking people to regularly check the locations of interest as these are regularly updated and to follow the advice provided.

Testing and vaccination centre locations nationwide can be found on the Healthpoint website.

Please also continue to check for any updated Locations of Interest and appropriate health advice, updated regularly on the Ministry's website.

Auckland

There are 9 cases to report in Auckland today.

Health and welfare providers are now supporting 878 people in the region to isolate at home, including 180 cases.

Waikato

There are three new cases in Waikato today, two are linked to previous cases and one is under investigation. One is in Ngāruawāhia, one in Whiritoa and one with location under investigation.

Two new locations of interest were confirmed in Whitianga and Hamilton and will be added to the Ministry's locations of interest page.

Pop-up testing sites are operating in Te Kūiti, Taumarunui, Tokoroa, Ōtorohanga, Putāruru, Ngāruawāhia, Huntly, Hamilton and Whangamatā today. For details of all dedicated testing sites including other general practices, please visit the DHB's website.

Public Health staff in the region, together with primary care and manaaki providers are supporting 30 cases to isolate at home.

Wairarapa

There are four cases to report in South Wairarapa today. All four cases are isolating in the same house. These four cases have links to two new cases in Lower Hutt, which are detailed below.

Hutt Valley

The two Lower Hutt cases are from the same household. The two cases in Lower Hutt had been in Rotorua recently and further investigations and genome sequencing is underway to confirm the source of infection.

Public health staff are working to determine any locations of interest arising from the cases in Hutt Valley and Wairarapa. Please keep checking the Ministry's website for regular updates

Canterbury

Today we are reporting three new cases in Canterbury – all are household contacts in Christchurch.

One of these cases is one we initially reported yesterday – it is being officially added to our case numbers today.

Two are linked to a previously reported case. The third remains under investigation.

There will be further locations of interest from around Canterbury, following travel over the holiday break. These will be updated regularly, along with health advice, on the Ministry's locations of interest page.

Note that locations of interest reflect where cases of Covid-19 have been, which is not always where these cases live.