The Ministry of Health is reporting 10,239 community cases, 848 hospitalisations and four deaths today. There are 28 people in ICU.

There are 617 new community cases in Bay of Plenty and 308 in the Lakes District Health Board region. The Bay of Plenty region has 34 people in hospital with Covid-19, and 10 in Lakes hospitals. There are 65 people in Waikato Hospital.

'It's encouraging to see the total number of cases in hospital, while slightly higher today than yesterday, remains considerably lower that the peak of over 1000 cases in hospital from five days ago,” says a Ministry of Health spokesperson.

'This reflects the decrease in hospitalisations across Auckland, Waikato and Bay of Plenty, some of the first regions to be affected by Omicron.”

The Ministry of Health continues to encourage people to be up to date with their vaccinations – including being boosted as the booster restores vaccine effectiveness for Omicron to 90 per cent after it declines after a second dose.

'Our best protection both for ourselves, and for our whānau, is to be up-to-date with vaccinations – which includes a booster,” says a Ministry of Health spokesperson. 'Often those at the greatest risk of becoming sick with Covid-19 are older family members and those with co-morbidities such as asthma, diabetes, and other long-term conditions.

'So, if you're due any dose of the vaccine, please get vaccinated this weekend to ensure you are well protected against Omicron.”

People who've had Covid-19 before getting their booster dose should wait the recommended three months recovery before getting their booster dose, but they should book in their vaccination now. They'll be joining the nearly 8,000 people who are already currently booked for their booster dose.

Covid-19 deaths

'Today we are sadly reporting the deaths of four people with Covid-19,” says a Ministry of Health spokesperson.

These deaths take the total number of publicly reported deaths with Covid-19 to 258 and the seven-day rolling average of reported deaths to 12.

'Of these deaths we are reporting today, one person is from the Auckland region, two are from the Wellington region, and one is from the Otago Southland region.”

One of these people was in their 80s, and three people were in their 90s. Two were men and two were women.

'Our thoughts and condolences are with their whānau and friends at this sad time. Out of respect, we will be making no further comment.”

Vaccinations administered in New Zealand

• Vaccines administered to date: 4,025,378 first doses; 3,973,723 second doses; 34,212 third primary doses; 2,574,023 booster doses: 258,380 paediatric first doses and 69,042 paediatric second doses
• Vaccines administered yesterday: 92 first doses; 179 second doses; 5 third primary doses; 2,921 booster doses; 364 paediatric first doses and 7,157 paediatric second doses

People vaccinated

• All Ethnicities (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 4,054,876 first dose (96.3%); 4,002,185 second dose (95.1%), 2,572,645 boosted (72.6% of those eligible)
• Māori (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 520,239 first dose (91.1%); 502,567 second dose (88%), 227,963 boosted (57.8% of those eligible)
• Pacific Peoples (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 281,494 first dose (98.2%); 276,330 second dose (96.4%), 135,886 boosted (59.3% of those eligible)
• 5 to 11-year-olds all ethnicities: 256,796 first dose (53.9%); 67,537 second dose (14.2%)
• 5 to 11-year-olds - Māori: 40,214 first dose (34.8%); 7,456 second dose (6.5%)
• 5 to 11-year-olds - Pacific Peoples: 23,227 first dose (47%); 3,647 second dose (7.4%)

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 (69.4%)
• Auckland Metro DHB: first dose (97.2%); second dose (96.1%); boosted (71.1%)
• Waikato DHB: first dose (95.1%); second dose (93.5%); boosted (68.3%)
• Bay of Plenty DHB: first dose (95%); second dose (93.3%); boosted (68%)
• Lakes DHB: first dose (93.3%); second dose (91.4%); boosted (68.4%)
• MidCentral DHB: first dose (96.5%); second dose (95.2%); boosted (74.1%)
• Tairāwhiti DHB: first dose (93.2%); second dose (90.9%); boosted (68.5%)
• Whanganui DHB: first dose (91.9%); second dose (90.4%); boosted (73.4%)
• Hawke's Bay DHB: first dose (97.1%); second dose (95.4%); boosted (72%)
• Taranaki DHB: first dose (94.6%); second dose (93.2%); boosted (70%)
• Wairarapa DHB: first dose (96.4%); second dose (94.9%); boosted (74.8%)
• Capital & Coast DHB: first dose (98.6%); second dose (97.8%); boosted (81.1%)
• Hutt Valley DHB: first dose (96.6%); second dose (95.6%); boosted (76.8%)
• Nelson Marlborough DHB: first dose (96.5%); second dose (95.2%); boosted (75.5%)
• West Coast DHB: first dose (92.6%); second dose (91.1%); boosted (73.2%)
• Canterbury DHB: first dose (99.7%); second dose (98.7%); boosted (75.8%)
• South Canterbury DHB: first dose (94.9%); second dose (93.8%); boosted (76.3%)
• Southern DHB: first dose (98.1%); second dose (97%); boosted (74.8%)

*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 848: Northland: 33; North Shore: 133; Middlemore: 188; Auckland: 144; Waikato: 65; Bay of Plenty: 34; Lakes: 10; Tairāwhiti: 3, Hawke's Bay: 45; Taranaki: 11; Whanganui: 7; MidCentral: 21; Hutt Valley: 15; Capital and Coast: 32; Wairarapa: 4; Nelson Marlborough: 17; Canterbury: 53; South Canterbury: 4; West Coast: 1; Southern: 28
• Average age of current hospitalisations: 58
• Cases in ICU or HDU: 28
• Vaccination status of current hospitalisations (Northern Region only, excluding Emergency Departments): Unvaccinated or not eligible (90 cases / 19.65%); partially immunised

The figures show that almost 3.5% 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, 17.1% have had no doses of the vaccine and are almost five times over-represented in our hospitalisation figures.

Cases

• Seven day rolling average of community cases: 16,325
• Number of new community cases: 10,239
• Number of new community cases (PCR): 215
• Number of new community cases (RAT): 10,024
• Location of new community cases (PCR & RAT): Northland (382), Auckland (1,886), Waikato (913), Bay of Plenty (617), Lakes (308), Hawke's Bay (541), MidCentral (493), Whanganui (223), Taranaki (431), Tairāwhiti (135), Wairarapa (105), Capital and Coast (692), Hutt Valley (349), Nelson Marlborough (405), Canterbury (1,750), South Canterbury (199), Southern (772), West Coast (36); Unknown (2)
• Number of new cases identified at the border: 33
• Number of active community cases (total): 114,261 (cases identified in the past 7 days and not yet classified as recovered)
• Confirmed cases (total): 596,402

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): 2,225
• Number of Rapid Antigen Tests reported total (last 24 hours): 20,061
• PCR tests rolling average (last 7 days): 2,674
• Number of Rapid Antigen Tests dispatched (last 7 days as of 24/03/22): 19.7 million (Please note that this number is not updated over the weekend and reflects the number of tests as of Friday).