The Ministry of Health is reporting 10,710 community cases today- an increase from the 10,290 from Wednesday.

There are also 554 hospitalisations and 15 deaths of people with the virus being reported today.

The seven-day rolling average of community case numbers today is 8013.

"We are sadly reporting the deaths of 15 people with Covid-19. These deaths occurred in the period since June 28," says a spokesperson for the Ministry.

"Today's new cases of Covid-19 show the recent rise in case numbers remains steady.

"We are continuing to keep our response to the current community outbreak of Covid-19 under review and will adapt it as the outbreak and pandemic evolve, and as part of our resurgence planning."

School holidays reminder

With the school holidays starting on Friday many people will have plans to get away and relax with whānau and friends – if you are going away, please remember to have plans in place in the event you contract Covid-19 or are identified as a household contact of a case.

"You would need to self-isolate and likely remain wherever you test positive or become a household contact, so there may be extra costs involved in paying for additional accommodation and changing your travel plans," says the Minsitry.

"If you have used your own vehicle to travel, you can travel back to your home to isolate (providing you are well enough to drive), taking public health measures to ensure you don't infect anyone on your way home – such as maintaining social distance (distancing yourself from others), wearing your mask correctly, making sure you keep your hands clean and dry and using self-service petrol stations if you need to refuel your vehicle.

"However, if you have used public transport or travelled between islands, you won't be able to travel to isolate at your home. So, it is important you have a plan and the ability to isolate where you are holidaying if you need to do so.

"As with all variants of Omicron, the public health advice remains the same. Getting your booster remains one of the best defences against Covid-19. Stay home if you're unwell, get tested if you're symptomatic, wash and dry your hands, cover coughs and sneezes, wear a mask in crowded or poorly ventilated indoor public settings and get vaccinated."

For guidance if you or someone you know tests positive or becomes a household contact, visit the Ministry of Health website.

For more information on mask use at Orange, visit the Unite Against COVID-19 website

Winter illness update

(This update is provided each Thursday)

• Of the 76 people in Auckland and Counties Manukau hospitals confirmed with SARI illnesses (severe acute respiratory infection) Covid-19 was the cause of infection in 24 percent of those tested for Covid-19, and Influenza was the cause in 52 percent of those tested for influenza.
• Other causes of infection were rhinoviruses and enteroviruses.
• The current rate of hospitalisations in Auckland and Counties Manukau is in line with rates seen in recent years.

Covid-19 hospitalisations

• Covid-19 Cases in hospital: total number 554: Northland: 15; Waitematā: 123; Counties Manukau: 38; Auckland: 48; Waikato: 52; Bay of Plenty: 31; Lakes: 15; Hawke's Bay: 13; MidCentral: 16; Whanganui: 5; Taranaki: 12; Tairawhiti: 2; Wairarapa: 4; Capital and Coast and Hutt Valley: 56; Nelson Marlborough: 15; Canterbury and West Coast: 63; South Canterbury: 13; Southern: 33.
• Weekly Covid-19 Hospitalisations - 7 day rolling average: 474 (This time last week 363)
• Average age of current Covid-19 hospitalisations: 66
• Cases in ICU or HDU: 12
• Vaccination status of new admissions to hospital*: Unvaccinated or not eligible (38 cases); partially immunised

*These are new hospital admissions in the past 7 days prior to yesterday who had Covid at the time of admission or while in hospital, excluding hospitalisations that were admitted and discharged within 24hrs. This data is from Districts with tertiary hospitals: Auckland, Canterbury, Southern, Counties Manukau, Waikato, Capital & Coast, Waitemata and Northland.

Covid-19 vaccinations administered

• Vaccines administered to date: 4,028,671 first doses; 3,981,188 second doses; 33,253 third primary doses; 2,685,341 first booster doses; 59,438 second booster doses; 264,507 paediatric first doses and 135,779 paediatric second doses
• Vaccines administered yesterday: 29 first doses; 47 second doses; 99 third primary doses; 940 first booster doses; 11,475 second booster doses; 46 paediatric first doses and 295 paediatric second doses
• More detailed information, including vaccine uptake by District, is available on the Ministry website.

Tests

• Number of PCR tests total (last 24 hours): 3,599
• Number of Rapid Antigen Tests reported total (last 24 hours): 16,225
• PCR tests rolling average (last 7 days): 3,188
• Number of Rapid Antigen Tests dispatched (last seven days as of 7 July 2022): 2.1 million

Covid-19 cases

• Total number of new community cases: 10,710
• Number of new cases that have recently travelled overseas: 374
• Seven day rolling average of community cases: 8,013
• Seven day rolling average of community cases (as at same day last week): 6,114
• Number of active cases (total): 56,058 (cases identified in the past seven days and not yet classified as recovered)
• Confirmed cases (total): 1,394,745
• Location of new community cases over past 24 hours: Northland (271), Auckland (3,458), Waikato (683), Bay of Plenty (445), Lakes (187), Hawke's Bay (448), MidCentral (360), Whanganui (163), Taranaki (273), Tairāwhiti (103), Wairarapa (125), Capital and Coast and Hutt Valley (1,279), Nelson Marlborough (324), Canterbury and West Coast (1,603), South Canterbury (131), Southern (849), Unknown (8).

Please note, the Ministry of Health's daily reported cases may differ slightly from those reported at a District or local public health service 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.

Covid-19 deaths

Today's reported deaths take the total number of publicly reported deaths with Covid-19 to 1,619 and the seven-day rolling average of reported deaths is 14.

Of the people whose deaths we are reporting today: four were from Auckland region, five were from the Wellington region, two were from Nelson / Marlborough and four were from Canterbury / West Coast.

Three were in their seventies, nine were in their 80s, and three were aged over 90. Of these people, five were women and ten were men.

"This is a very sad time for whānau and friends and our thoughts and condolences are with them. Out of respect, we will be making no further comment on these," says the Ministry.