The Ministry of Health is reporting 6407 new community Covid cases, 368 hospitalisations and two additional deaths.

The Ministry is also reporting the Omicron BA.5 variant has been identified in a further two people who have travelled to New Zealand.

"Both people travelled to New Zealand and subsequently returned a positive RAT and PCR results," says a spokesperson for the Ministry,

"Whole genome sequencing subsequently confirmed the BA.5 variant.

"Following the first BA.5 case reported on Sunday, there are now three people who are confirmed to have the variant, all of whom travelled from South Africa."

Both BA.4 and BA.5 have been reported in Southern Africa and Europe, and both variants have been detected in Australia.

The arrival of the BA.5 sub-variant in New Zealand is not unexpected, says the Minsitry.

"At this stage, the public health settings already in place to manage other Omicron variants are assessed to be appropriate for managing BA.5 and no changes are required.

"The BA.5 Omicron subvariants is being monitored by the World Health Organization (WHO).

"It can take weeks or months to assess the severity of each new variant or sub-variant, so the Ministry of Health will continue to monitor the emerging evidence closely."

COVID-19 deaths

Today, the Ministry is reporting the deaths of two people with Covid-19.

These deaths take the total number of publicly reported deaths with Covid-19 to 862 and the seven-day rolling average of reported deaths is 15.

"Of the people whose deaths we are reporting today; one person was from Wairarapa and the other was from Whanganui.

"Both were male and in their 80s.

"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: 4,026,838 first doses; 3,978,403 second doses; 31,923 third primary doses; 2,638,232 booster doses: 261,944 paediatric first doses and 118,916 paediatric second doses
• Vaccines administered yesterday: 6 first doses; 4 second doses; 2 third primary doses; 350 booster doses; 15 paediatric first doses and 115 paediatric second doses

People vaccinated

• All Ethnicities (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 4,055,751 first dose (96.4%); 4,006,692 second dose (95.2%), 2,633,279 boosted (70.8% of those eligible)
• Māori (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 521,097 first dose (91.3%); 504,173 second dose (88.3%), 235,447 boosted (54.2% of those eligible)
• Pacific Peoples (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 281,932 first dose (98.3%); 277,066 second dose (96.6%), 140,474 boosted (56.7% of those eligible)
• 5 to 11-year-olds all ethnicities: 259,073 first dose (54.4%); 116,081 second dose (24.4%)
• 5 to 11-year-olds - Māori: 40,854 first dose (35.4%); 13,283 second dose (11.5%)
• 5 to 11-year-olds - Pacific Peoples: 23,531 first dose (47.6%); 6,758 second dose (13.7%)

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 (67.4%)
• Auckland DHB: first dose (99.1%); second dose (98.2%); 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 (70.7%)
• Waikato DHB: first dose (95.1%); second dose (93.6%); boosted (66.3%)
• Bay of Plenty DHB: first dose (95.1%); second dose (93.4%); boosted (65.6%)
• Lakes DHB: first dose (93.1%); second dose (91.3%); boosted (65.9%)
• MidCentral DHB: first dose (96.4%); second dose (95.2%); boosted (71.8%)
• Tairāwhiti DHB: first dose (93.1%); second dose (90.9%); boosted (65.5%)
• Whanganui DHB: first dose (91.9%); second dose (90.4%); boosted (71.1%)
• Hawke's Bay DHB: first dose (97.3%); second dose (95.7%); boosted (69.3%)
• Taranaki DHB: first dose (94.6%); second dose (93.3%); boosted (67.7%)
• Wairarapa DHB: first dose (96.4%); second dose (95%); boosted (72.7%)
• Capital & Coast DHB: first dose (98.4%); second dose (97.8%); boosted (79.2%)
• Hutt Valley DHB: first dose (96.6%); second dose (95.6%); boosted (74.6%)
• Nelson Marlborough DHB: first dose (96.4%); second dose (95.2%); boosted (73.1%)
• West Coast DHB: first dose (92.6%); second dose (91.2%); boosted (71.2%)
• Canterbury DHB: first dose (99.7%); second dose (98.9%); boosted (74.1%)
• South Canterbury DHB: first dose (94.7%); second dose (93.7%); boosted (74.1%)
• Southern DHB: first dose (98.5%); second dose (97.5%); boosted (73%).

*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

• Cases in hospital: total number 368: Northland: 10; Waitemata: 42; Counties Manukau: 33; Auckland: 63; Waikato: 40; Bay of Plenty: 18; Lakes: 4; Tairāwhiti: 1; Hawke's Bay: 14; Taranaki: 7; Whanganui: 1; MidCentral: 19; Wairarapa: 3; Hutt Valley: 4; Capital and Coast: 12; Nelson Marlborough: 6; Canterbury: 59; South Canterbury: 3; West Coast: 3; Southern: 26.
• Average age of current hospitalisations*: 59
• Cases in ICU or HDU: 18
• Vaccination status of current hospitalisations (Northern Region only, excluding Emergency Departments): Unvaccinated or not eligible (38 cases / 17%); 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: 7,479
• Seven day rolling average (as at same day last week): 7,553
• Number of new community cases: 6,407
• Number of new community cases (PCR): 131
• Number of new community cases (RAT): 6,276
• Location of new community cases (PCR & RAT): Northland (146), Auckland (2,066), Waikato (441), Bay of Plenty (195), Lakes (106), Hawke's Bay (186), MidCentral (225), Whanganui (54), Taranaki (143), Tairāwhiti (36), Wairarapa (63), Capital and Coast (496), Hutt Valley (177), Nelson Marlborough (224), Canterbury (1,033), South Canterbury (96), Southern (654), West Coast (62), Unknown (4)
• Number of new cases identified at the border: 57
• Number of active community cases (total): 52,339 (cases identified in the past 7 days and not yet classified as recovered)
• Confirmed cases (total): 992,732.

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): 1,864
• Number of Rapid Antigen Tests reported total (last 24 hours): 11,149
• PCR tests rolling average (last 7 days): 3,348
• Number of Rapid Antigen Tests dispatched (last 7 days as of 9 May 2022): 1.6 million.