The Ministry of Health is reporting 18,514 new community cases of Covid today and ten deaths.

Two of the people who have died are from Bay of Plenty and two are from the Lakes District Health Board region.

There are 939 people in hospital and 24 in ICU.

The Bay of Plenty has 1221 new community cases, and the Lakes District Health Board region has 541 new cases. There are 33 people in Bay of Plenty hospitals with Covid-19 and six in Lakes hospitals.

Covid-19 related deaths

'Sadly, 10 deaths of people with Covid-19 have been formally reported in the past 24 hours,” says a Ministry of Health spokesperson.

This takes the total number of publicly reported Covid-related deaths to 166 and the seven-day rolling average of reported deaths to eight.

'Delays to reporting can be associated with people dying with, rather than of Covid-19, and Covid-19 being determined after they have died.”

Due to these fluctuations in the daily reported figures, the Ministry regards the 7-day rolling average as a better indicator of deaths with Covid-19.

Of the 10 people who have died, one was from Northland, three were from Auckland, one from Waikato, two were from Bay of Plenty, two were from the Lakes DHB area, and one was from the Wellington.

Of these people, one was in their 40s, two in their 60s, four in their 80s, and three were in their 90s. Six were women and four were men.

'Our thoughts are with their family and friends at this sad time and we will be making no further comment,” says a Ministry of Health spokesperson.

Fluctuation in daily numbers of cases

The daily reported cases are expected to continue to fluctuate. This means that the seven-day rolling average of cases gives a more reliable indicator of the trend in cases. The seven-day rolling average of cases is today 17,641, down slightly from 17,673 yesterday.

'The number of cases and hospitalisations is a reminder that if you're due any dose of the vaccine, including a booster, please get vaccinated as quickly as possible to ensure you are well protected against Omicron,” says a Ministry of Health spokesperson.

Being boosted greatly reduces the chances of getting severely ill and could be lifesaving. Yesterday, 5,568 booster doses were given around the country.

'If you're out and about, remember to wear a mask. Masks reduce the risk that you will both catch and spread the virus.”

On Friday there was a change in reporting that led to a drop in the number of active cases. This drop is a result of shifting the classification of active cases from 10 days after testing positive for Covid-19 to 7 days, in line with a reduction in isolation requirement for cases, announced last week.

'This change in classification also occurred when we moved from a 14 to 10-day isolation requirement and is underpinned by evidence that the majority of cases are no longer infectious after seven days,” says a Ministry of Health spokesperson.

Positive or negative, please report your RAT results

The Ministry would like to thank the many people who are getting tested and reporting results.

'Whether it is positive or negative, please report your RAT result. It only takes a couple of minutes and helps health officials assess the outbreak and better understand the spread of Omicron,” says a Ministry of Health spokesperson.

In addition to reporting the test results through ‘My Covid Record', parents and caregivers are now able to report test results of children under 12 and other family members by calling the My Covid Record team on 0800 222 478.

Vaccinations administered in New Zealand

• Vaccines administered to date: 4,024,159 first doses; 3,971,385 second doses; 34,217 third primary doses; 2,545,448 booster doses: 256,225 paediatric first doses and 29,671 paediatric second doses
• Vaccines administered yesterday: 264 first doses; 478 second doses; 35 third primary doses; 5,568 booster doses; 386 paediatric first doses and 5,612 paediatric second doses

People vaccinated

• All Ethnicities (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 4,053,019 first dose (96.3%); 3,999,732 second dose (95%), 2,544,693 boosted (72.8% of those eligible)
• Māori (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 519,832 first dose (91%); 501,735 second dose (87.9%), 224,421 boosted (58.9% of those eligible)
• Pacific Peoples (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 281,207 first dose (98.1%); 275,913 second dose (96.2%), 133,735 boosted (59.6% of those eligible)
• 5 to 11-year-olds all ethnicities: 255,554 first dose (53.7%); 29,068 second dose (6.1%)
• 5 to 11-year-olds - Māori: 39,740 first dose (34.4%); 3,475 second dose (3%)
• 5 to 11-year-olds - Pacific Peoples: 22,980 first dose (46.5%); 1,684 second dose (3.4%)

Note that the number for 'People vaccinated” differs slightly from 'Vaccines administered” as it includes those that have been vaccinated overseas.

Vaccination rates for all DHBs*

• Northland DHB: first dose (90.1%); second dose (87.9%); boosted (69.7%)
• Auckland Metro DHB: first dose (97.2%); second dose (96.1%); boosted (70.9%)
• Waikato DHB: first dose (95%); second dose (93.5%); boosted (68.5%)
• Bay of Plenty DHB: first dose (94.9%); second dose (93.2%); boosted (68.6%)
• Lakes DHB: first dose (93.2%); second dose (91.4%); boosted (69%)
• MidCentral DHB: first dose (96.4%); second dose (95.1%); boosted (74.5%)
• Tairāwhiti DHB: first dose (93.2%); second dose (90.8%); boosted (69.6%)
• Whanganui DHB: first dose (91.9%); second dose (90.3%); boosted (74%)
• Hawke's Bay DHB: first dose (97%); second dose (95.2%); boosted (72.6%)
• Taranaki DHB: first dose (94.5%); second dose (93.1%); boosted (70.2%)
• Wairarapa DHB: first dose (96.4%); second dose (94.9%); boosted (75.1%)
• Capital & Coast DHB: first dose (98.5%); second dose (97.8%); boosted (81.3%)
• Hutt Valley DHB: first dose (96.6%); second dose (95.5%); boosted (77.2%)
• Nelson Marlborough DHB: first dose (96.4%); second dose (95.2%); boosted (76.1%)
• West Coast DHB: first dose (92.6%); second dose (91%); boosted (74.1%)
• Canterbury DHB: first dose (99.6%); second dose (98.6%); boosted (75.7%)
• South Canterbury DHB: first dose (94.9%); second dose (93.8%); boosted (76.7%)
• Southern DHB: first dose (98.1%); second dose (96.9%); boosted (75.2%)

*Partially and second doses percentages are for those 12+. Boosted percentages are for 18+ who have become eligible 3 months after having their second dose

Percentages are based on 2020 HSU data - a health-specific population denominator. As the population continues to change over time, coverage rates can exceed 100%.

Hospitalisations*

• Cases in hospital: total number 939: Northland: 29; North Shore: 169; Middlemore: 218; Auckland: 208; Waikato: 58; Bay of Plenty: 33; Lakes: 6; Tairāwhiti: 4, Hawke's Bay: 29; Taranaki: 6; MidCentral: 19; Hutt Valley: 20; Capital and Coast: 50; Wairarapa: 5; Whanganui: 3; Nelson Marlborough: 11; Canterbury: 48; South Canterbury: 1; Southern: 22
• Average age of current hospitalisations: 57
• Cases in ICU or HDU: 24
• Vaccination status of current hospitalisations (Northern Region only, excluding Emergency Departments): Unvaccinated or not eligible (103 cases / 17.8%); partially immunised

*The figures show that just under 3% of people aged 12 and over in the Northern Region have had no doses of the vaccine, while of those aged 12 and over in Northland and Auckland hospitals with COVID-19 for whom we have vaccination status recorded, 16.3% have had no doses of the vaccine and are five times over-represented in our hospitalisation figures.

Cases

• Seven day rolling average of community cases: 17,641
• Number of new community cases: 18,514
• Number of new community cases (PCR): 529
• Number of new community cases (RAT): 17,985
• Location of new community cases (PCR & RAT): Northland (643), Auckland (4,346), Waikato (1,729), Bay of Plenty (1,221), Lakes (541), Hawke's Bay (1,108), MidCentral (847), Whanganui (273), Taranaki (601), Tairāwhiti (365), Wairarapa (260), Capital and Coast (1,237), Hutt Valley (697), Nelson Marlborough (457), Canterbury (2,694), South Canterbury (217), Southern (1,224), West Coast (42); Unknown (12)
• Number of new cases identified at the border: 45
• Number of active community cases (total): 123,481 (cases identified in the past 7 days and not yet classified as recovered)
• Confirmed cases (total): 470,097

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 PCR tests total (last 24 hours): 3,828
• Number of Rapid Antigen Tests reported total (last 24 hours): 36,134
• PCR tests rolling average (last 7 days): 4,044
• Number of Rapid Antigen Tests dispatched (last 7 days as of 15/03/22): 10.8 million (Please note that this number is not updated over the weekend and reflects the number of tests as of Friday.)