The Ministry of Health is reporting the deaths of 24 people with Covid-19, two of which are in the Bay of Plenty.

Today, there are 8454 new community cases and 481 hospitalisations.

"Today's seven-day rolling average of community case numbers is 7,746 – last Wednesday it was 7884," says a spokesperson from the Ministry of Health.

"With ongoing community transmission across the country it is important we all remain vigilant. Please continue to follow public health advice to stay at home, away from school or work if you're feeling unwell."

Covid-19 deaths

The deaths being reported today include 12 people who have died over the past three days and an additional 12 people who have died since March 5.

Delays to reporting can be associated with people dying with Covid-19, rather than from Covid19, and Covid being discovered only after they have died, says the Ministry.

"These deaths take the total number of publicly reported deaths with Covid-19 to 801 and the 7-day rolling average of reported deaths is 13.

"Of the people whose deaths we are reporting today; nine people were from Auckland; four from Waikato; two from Bay of Plenty; one from Whanganui; one from MidCentral; two from the Greater Wellington region; three from Canterbury and two from Southern.

"One person was under-10; one was between 10 and 19-years-old, two were in their 40s; one in their 50s, two in their 60s; nine in their 70s; five in their 80s and three were aged over 90.

"Of these people, seven were female and 17 were male.

"This is a very sad time for whānau and friends and our thoughts and condolences are with them at this time.

"Out of respect, we will be making no further comment."

Vaccinations administered in New Zealand

• Vaccines administered to date: 4,026,713 first doses; 3,978,141 second doses; 31,833 third primary doses; 2,633,160 booster doses: 261,692 paediatric first doses and 117,113 paediatric second doses
• Vaccines administered yesterday: 57 first doses; 81 second doses; 18 third primary doses; 1,085 booster doses; 28 paediatric first doses and 285 paediatric second doses

People vaccinated

• All Ethnicities (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 4,055,958 first dose (96.4%); 4,006,773 second dose (95.2%), 2,628,721 boosted (70.9% of those eligible)
• Māori (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 521,040 first dose (91.2%); 504,078 second dose (88.3%), 234,856 boosted (54.5% of those eligible)
• Pacific Peoples (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 281,851 first dose (98.3%); 276,973 second dose (96.6%), 140,042 boosted (56.8% of those eligible)
• 5 to 11-year-olds all ethnicities: 258,876 first dose (54.4%); 114,333 second dose (24%)
• 5 to 11-year-olds - Māori: 40,815 first dose (35.3%); 13,016 second dose (11.3%)
• 5 to 11-year-olds - Pacific Peoples: 23,500 first dose (47.6%); 6,560 second dose (13.3%)

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 (88.1%); boosted (67.6%)
• Auckland DHB: first dose (99.2%); second dose (98.3%); boosted (72.9%)
• Counties Manukau DHB: first dose (96.2%); second dose (95%); boosted (65.8%)
• Waitemata DHB: first dose (96.5%); second dose (95.6%); boosted (70.8%)
• Waikato DHB: first dose (95.1%); second dose (93.6%); boosted (66.5%)
• Bay of Plenty DHB: first dose (95.1%); second dose (93.4%); boosted (65.8%)
• Lakes DHB: first dose (93.1%); second dose (91.4%); boosted (66.2%)
• MidCentral DHB: first dose (96.4%); second dose (95.1%); boosted (72%)
• Tairāwhiti DHB: first dose (93.1%); second dose (90.9%); boosted (65.8%)
• Whanganui DHB: first dose (91.9%); second dose (90.4%); boosted (71.3%)
• Hawke's Bay DHB: first dose (97.2%); second dose (95.6%); boosted (69.6%)
• Taranaki DHB: first dose (94.6%); second dose (93.3%); boosted (67.9%)
• Wairarapa DHB: first dose (96.4%); second dose (95%); boosted (72.8%)
• Capital & Coast DHB: first dose (98.4%); second dose (97.8%); boosted (79.3%)
• Hutt Valley DHB: first dose (96.6%); second dose (95.7%); boosted (74.8%)
• Nelson Marlborough DHB: first dose (96.4%); second dose (95.2%); boosted (73.2%)
• West Coast DHB: first dose (92.7%); second dose (91.3%); boosted (71.4%)
• Canterbury DHB: first dose (99.7%); second dose (98.9%); boosted (74.3%)
• South Canterbury DHB: first dose (94.7%); second dose (93.7%); boosted (74.3%)
• Southern DHB: first dose (98.5%); second dose (97.4%); boosted (73.1%)

*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 or 16- and 17-year-olds who have become eligible 6 months after having their second dose.

Hospitalisations

From tomorrow, reporting of hospitalisation numbers in Northern region hospitals will include only active COVID-19 cases. To date, reported case numbers in the Northern region have included people who have recovered from COVID-19 but remain in hospital.

The reporting of hospitalisations in other DHBs will remain unchanged as these already only include active cases.

This change will see the number of daily hospitalisations in the Northern region reduce. This change is part of ensuring nationally consistent reporting of this data, which will also enable more information, such as vaccination status of hospitalised case, to be collected from a greater number of DHBs.

• Cases in hospital: total number 481: Northland: 29; Waitemata: 72; Counties Manukau: 75; Auckland: 89; Waikato: 35; Bay of Plenty: 28; Lakes: 2; Tairāwhiti: 0; Hawke's Bay: 13; Taranaki: 3; Whanganui: 1; MidCentral: 6; Wairarapa: 1; Hutt Valley: 5; Capital and Coast: 13; Nelson Marlborough: 11; Canterbury: 71; South Canterbury: 1; West Coast: 1; Southern: 25
• *Average age of current hospitalisations: 58
• Cases in ICU or HDU: 14
• Vaccination status of current hospitalisations (Northern Region only, excluding Emergency Departments): Unvaccinated or not eligible (41 cases / 16%); partially immunised

*Please note the average age of current hospitalisations is for the Northern Region admissions only at this stage. This data is recorded and extracted from the same source as the vaccination status of patients in Northern Region hospitals.

Cases

• Seven day rolling average of community cases: 7,746
• Seven day rolling average (as at same day last week): 7,884
• Number of new community cases: 8,454
• Number of new community cases (PCR): 290
• Number of new community cases (RAT): 8,164
• Location of new community cases (PCR & RAT): Northland (222), Auckland (2,568), Waikato (501), Bay of Plenty (256), Lakes (142), Hawke's Bay (278), MidCentral (308), Whanganui (102), Taranaki (245), Tairāwhiti (79), Wairarapa (112), Capital and Coast (614), Hutt Valley (231), Nelson Marlborough (281), Canterbury (1,418), South Canterbury (106), Southern (900), West Coast (85), Unknown (6)
• Number of new cases identified at the border: 124
• Number of active community cases (total): 54,210 (cases identified in the past 7 days and not yet classified as recovered)
• Confirmed cases (total): 957,799

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): 3,918
• Number of Rapid Antigen Tests reported total (last 24 hours): 18,053
• PCR tests rolling average (last 7 days): 3,489
• Number of Rapid Antigen Tests dispatched (last 7 days as of 4 May 2022): 1.6 million