Daily Covid case numbers continue to rise in New Zealand as the Ministry of Health reports 1573 new cases today.

The number of people in hospital has also risen to 63.

In this afternoon's daily update, the Ministry of Health reports there are 29 new Covid cases in the Bay of Plenty and 35 in the Lakes DHB area.

In Tauranga, three people are in hospital with the virus and there is one person in Rotorua Hospital with Covid-19.

See below for a full breakdown of today's numbers.

"The Big Boost push continues to see tens of thousands of people going out to get their booster dose each day," says a Ministry spokesperson.

"Yesterday, 40,452 booster doses were administered across the country and brings the total so far to more than two million doses.

"It's also fantastic news that more than 90 per cent of Māori aged 12 years and over in the Hutt Valley have now been full vaccinated, becoming the fourth DHB area in Aotearoa to achieve this milestone.

"The most important step anyone can take to prepare for Omicron is to book their vaccine which is our best defence against the virus.

"Every dose counts and lowers the chances of getting very sick and being hospitalised, so if it's been three months since your last dose, please book your booster today.

"Since January 22, when the first Omicron case was detected in the community, double vaccinated cases are ten times less likely to require hospitalisation than unvaccinated cases – four per cent of unvaccinated cases have required hospitalisation and 0.4 per cent of fully vaccinated cases have required hospitalisation."

COVID-19 vaccine update

• Vaccines administered to date (percentage of eligible people aged 12 and over): 4,014,939 first doses (96%); 3,948,146 second doses (95%); 2,006,361 booster doses (62%).
• Vaccines administered yesterday: 2,320 first doses; 1,487 second doses; 1,677 paediatric doses; 40,452 booster doses.
• Māori (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 517,070 first doses (91%); 494,268 second doses (87%).
• Pacific Peoples (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 279,533 first doses (98%); 272,795 second doses (95%).
• Paediatric vaccines administered to date (percentage of 5-11-year-olds): 219,666 first doses (46%)
• Māori (percentage of eligible people aged 5-11): 31,112 first doses (27%)
• Pacific Peoples (percentage of eligible people aged 5-11): 18,254 first doses (37%)

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 (96%)
• Waikato DHB: first doses (95%); second doses (93%)
• Bay of Plenty DHB: first doses (95%); second doses (93%)
• Lakes DHB: first doses (93%); second doses (91%)
• MidCentral DHB: first doses (97%); second doses (95%)
• Tairāwhiti DHB: first doses (93%); second doses (90%)
• Whanganui DHB: first doses (92%); second doses (90%)
• Hawke's Bay: first doses (97%); second doses (95%)
• Taranaki DHB: first doses (95%); second doses (93%)
• Wairarapa DHB: first doses (97%); second doses (95%)
• Capital and Coast DHB: first doses (99%); second doses (98%)
• Hutt Valley DHB: first doses (97%); second doses (95%)
• Nelson Marlborough DHB: first doses (97%); second doses (95%)
• West Coast DHB: first doses (93%); second doses (91%)
• Canterbury DHB: first doses (99%); second doses (98%)
• South Canterbury DHB: first doses (95%); second doses (94%)
• Southern DHB: first doses (98%); second doses (96%)  

Hospitalisations

• Cases in hospital: total number 63: North Shore: 4; Middlemore: 22; Auckland: 28; Rotorua: 1; Tauranga: 3; Waikato: 3; Wellington: 1, Tairawhiti: 1.
• Average age of current hospitalisations: 62
• Cases in ICU or HDU: 0
• Vaccination status of current hospitalisations (Northern Region only, excluding Emergency Departments): Unvaccinated or not eligible (4 cases / 9%); partially immunised

Cases

• Seven day rolling average of community cases: 844
• Seven day rolling average of border cases: 17
• Number of new community cases: 1,573
• Location of new community cases*: Northland (31), Auckland (1,140), Waikato (143), Bay of Plenty (29), Lakes (35), Hawke's Bay (2), MidCentral (3), Whanganui (11), Taranaki (8), Tairāwhiti (8), Wairarapa (30), Capital and Coast (20), Hutt Valley (22), Nelson Marlborough (49), Canterbury (7), Southern (35).
• Number of new cases identified at the border: 15
• Location of origin of border cases: India (1), Australia (1) Full travel history not obtained (10).
• Number of active community cases (total): 8,147 (cases identified in the past 21 days and not yet classified as recovered)
• Confirmed cases (total): 24,660

* 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.

Tests

• Number of tests total (last 24 hours): 32,285
• Tests rolling average (last 7 days): 24,175
• Number of Rapid Antigen Tests stock available in New Zealand: 7.3 million