The Ministry of Health is reporting 97 new community cases in NZ and 58 new cases identified at the border.

Of the new community cases, 61 are in Auckland, one in Northland, 14 in Waikato, three in Tairawhiti, eight in Bay of Plenty, seven in Lakes and three in Hawke's Bay.

There are seven cases in hospital, with two in North Shore, two in Middlemore, one in Auckland and two in Rotorua. There are no cases in ICU or HDU.

Three cases onboard ship at Port of Tauranga

The eight new BOP cases includes three cases onboard the Singapore-flagged Maersk Bogor container ship, which is currently under quarantine at the Port of Tauranga.

The ship arrived in port on Friday morning. Some of the 25 crew had experienced Covid-like illness. Testing returned three positive results in the 24 hour period to midnight on Friday night.

No one has been allowed off the ship. Testing was carried out following strict infection, prevention and control guidelines.

The vessel has been managed by the Port to ensure that the risk from crew has been effectively managed, and the ship is due to leave port on Sunday.

The five remaining new cases are in the Western Bay of Plenty, including one in Katikati.

There are now two cases in Katikati. Public health staff are awaiting the results of whole genome sequencing, but in the meantime, the cases are being treated as though they're Omicron.

Increased testing has been made available at the Katikati medical centre.

Please check the Healthpoint website for further testing details.

Lakes

There are seven new cases reported in the Lakes DHB area today – all in Rotorua. Six are contacts of previously reported cases and the remaining case is currently being investigated.

Northland

'Today we are reporting four new cases in Northland. Three of these came in after the cut off time and will be reported in tomorrow's figures.”

Three of the cases are in Whangārei and one case is in Kerikeri. All four cases are isolating at home.

Two cases are linked to the Soundsplash Festival in Hamilton. Whole genome sequencing will be carried out on these cases but in the meantime, Northland public health staff are treating them as if they are Omicron.

Three new locations of interest in Whangārei have been added to the Ministry's website.

'Please check the time and date for these and follow corresponding public health advice.”

Auckland

'There are 61 new cases to report in Auckland today,” says a Ministry of Health spokesperson.

'Health and welfare providers are now supporting 769 people in the region to isolate at home, including 242 cases.”

Waikato

There are 14 new cases in the Waikato today.

Of these, ten have been linked to previous cases and four remain under investigation for links.

Public Health staff, primary care and manaaki providers in Waikato are supporting 32 cases to isolate at home. 

Tairāwhiti

There are three new cases to report in Tairāwhiti today. All are connected to the Soundsplash Festival in Hamilton.

Whole genome sequencing will be carried out on these cases but in the meantime, these cases are being treated as though they are Omicron.

Hawke's Bay

'Today we are reporting three new cases of Covid-19 in Hawke's Bay,” says a Ministry of Health spokesperson.

'One of these is the case we first announced yesterday and links to the Soundsplash festival have been established. It is being treated as an Omicron case.”

Investigations are continuing to determine other links for the remaining cases.

Regions

'We are continuing to ask anyone in New Zealand with symptoms – no matter how mild – to get tested, even if you're vaccinated,” says a Ministry of Health spokesperson. '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.”

Omicron update

Public health teams are continuing to manage Omicron cases in the community through rapidly isolating cases and contacts, contact tracing, and testing to slow the spread.

To date, 116 community cases of Covid-19 have either been confirmed by Whole Genome Sequencing as the Omicron variant or have been linked to a previously reported Omicron case.

Some of these additional cases have previously been reported as COVID-19 cases and linked retrospectively either through whole genome sequencing or epidemiologically.

As of 9am this morning, there has been 39 cases connected to the Soundsplash music festival in Hamilton last weekend. However, this number will grow as further test results are received.

Given the increase in cases associated with Soundsplash, the Ministry of Health advises all attendees to get a test, if they have not already done so. If you attended the festival, please let the testing centre know that you were at the festival.

Two of the four community cases in Canterbury reported earlier in the week have now been determined to be Omicron.

There are active cases being treated as Omicron in Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Taranaki, MidCentral, Canterbury, Tairāwhiti and Nelson-Tasman.

The number of cases and contacts are expected to grow given the highly transmissible nature of Omicron and as we learn more from case interviews.

'We're asking everyone in New Zealand to act like Omicron is circulating in their community,” says a Ministry of Health spokesperson.

'That means wearing a mask in indoor settings with people you don't know, physical distancing, washing hands regularly and scanning in using the Covid-19 Tracer app, when you're out and about.”

Anyone with any cold or flu symptoms that could be Covid-19 is asked to get a test and isolate at home until a negative result is returned.

The most common early symptoms of the Omicron variant are a sore or scratchy throat, and a runny nose. So if you have these symptoms, please get a test.

COVID-19 vaccine update

On Friday 12,860 paediatric doses were administered, bringing the total to 150,207.

Nelson Marlborough is only five first doses short of partially vaccinating 90 per cent of Māori. It will be the eighth DHB area to achieve this milestone.

On Friday 46,271 booster doses were administered, bring the total to 1,257,758.

• Vaccines administered to date (percentage of eligible people): 4,039,660 first doses (96%); 3,959,574 second doses (94%); 1,257,758 booster doses
• Vaccines administered yesterday: 1,251 first doses; 2,212 second doses; 12,860 paediatric doses; 46,271 booster doses.
• Māori (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 511,802 first doses (90%); 484,587 second doses (85%).
• Pacific Peoples (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 276,876 first doses (97%); 268,665 second doses (94%).
• Paediatric vaccines administered to date (percentage of 5-11-year-olds): 150,207 first doses (32%)
• Māori (percentage of eligible people aged 5-11): 19,440 first doses (17%)
• Pacific Peoples (percentage of eligible people aged 5-11): 10,458 first doses (21%)

Vaccination rates for all DHBs (percentage of eligible people aged 12 +)

• Northland DHB: First doses (90%); second doses (87%)
• Auckland Metro DHBs: First doses (97%); second doses (95%)
• Waikato DHB: First doses (95%); second doses (92%)
• Bay of Plenty DHB: First doses (95%); second doses (92%)
• Lakes DHB: First doses (93%); second doses (90%)
• MidCentral DHB: First doses (96%); second doses (94%)
• Tairawhiti DHB: First doses (93%); second doses (89%)
• Whanganui DHB: First doses (92%); second doses (89%)
• Hawke's Bay: First doses (96%); second doses (93%)
• Taranaki DHB: First doses (94%); second doses (92%)
• Wairarapa DHB: First doses (96%); second doses (94%)
• Capital and Coast DHB: First doses (98%); second doses (97%)
• Hutt Valley DHB: First doses (97%); second doses (95%)
• Nelson Marlborough DHB: First doses (96%); second doses (94%)
• West Coast DHB: First doses (93%); second doses (90%)
• Canterbury DHB: First doses (99%); second doses (97%)
• South Canterbury DHB: First doses (95%); second doses (93%)
• Southern DHB: First doses (97%); second doses (96%)

Hospitalisations

• Cases in hospital: 7; North Shore: 2; Middlemore: 2; Auckland: 1; Rotorua: 2
• Average age of current hospitalisations: 52
• Cases in ICU or HDU: Zero

As the number of total hospitalised cases in the Northern Region is currently below five, we have removed the vaccination status for hospitalisations, for privacy reasons.

Cases

• Seven day rolling average of community cases: 48
• Seven day rolling average of border cases: 44
• Number of new community cases: 97
• Number of new cases identified at the border: 58
• *Location of new community cases: Northland (1), Auckland (61), Waikato (14), Tairawhiti (3), Bay of Plenty (8), Lakes (7), Hawke's Bay (3)
• Number of community cases (total): 11,811 (in current community outbreaks)
• Cases epidemiologically linked (total): 8,972
• Number of active cases (total): 630 (cases identified in the past 21 days and not yet classified as recovered)
• Confirmed cases (total): 15,770

Contacts

• Number of active contacts being managed (total): 6,923
• Percentage who has received an outbound call from contact tracers (to confirm testing and isolation requirements): 69%
• Percentage who has returned at least one result: 68%

Tests

• Number of tests total (last 24 hours): 22,727
• Tests rolling average (last 7 days): 18,712
• Auckland tests total (last 24 hours): 10,847

Wastewater

ESR has advised Covid-19 was detected in samples taken on January 26 and 27 from Dannevirke, Kerikeri, Pukekohe, Paihia and Rawene.

There was also continued detection in samples taken over the same days from Ahipara, Kawakawa Bay, Hamilton, Tauranga, Rotorua, Te Maunga (Mt Maunganui), Te Puke, Te Awamutu, Porirua, Moa Point in Wellington and Motueka.

NZ COVID Tracer

• Poster scans in the 24 hours to midday yesterday: 2,751,957
• Manual diary entries in the 24 hours to midday: 49,275

My Vaccine Pass

• My vaccine pass downloads total: 4,972,988
• My vaccine pass downloads (last 24 hours): 14,085

New cases identified at the border