The Ministry of Health is today reporting 7605 new community cases of Covid-19, 799 current hospitalisations, and 25 people in ICU.

There are 41 new deaths reported today.

'Of the 41 people whose deaths we are reporting today, 14 were from Auckland region, three were from Waikato, two were from Bay of Plenty, three were from Lakes, two were from Hawke's Bay, one was from Taranaki, two were from MidCentral, two were from Whanganui, two were from Wellington region, seven were from Canterbury, three were from Southern,” says a Ministry of Health spokesperson.

'One was in their 50s, one was in their 60s, eight were in their 70s, 12 were in their 80s and 19 were aged over 90. Of these people, 22 were women and 19 were men.”

There are 35 people in Bay of Plenty hospitals and 16 in Lakes hospitals.

There are 313 new cases from people returning from overseas.

The seven-day rolling average of community case numbers today is 7,618.

There are now a total of 1,479 deaths confirmed as attributable to Covid-19, either as the underlying cause of death or as a contributing factor. The average increase in deaths each day attributable to Covid-19, over the past seven days, is now 18.

Covid-19 Hospitalisations

• Covid-19 Cases in hospital: total number 799: Northland: 21; Waitematā: 100; Counties Manukau: 51; Auckland: 93; Waikato: 97; Bay of Plenty: 35; Lakes: 16; Hawke's Bay: 44; MidCentral: 48; Whanganui: 13; Taranaki: 21; Tairawhiti: 5; Wairarapa: 7; Capital & Coast/Hutt: 45; Nelson Marlborough: 17; Canterbury/West Coast: 129; South Canterbury: 13; Southern: 44.
• Weekly Covid-19 Hospitalisations - 7 day rolling average: 796 (This time last week 764)
• Average age of current Covid-19 hospitalisations: 64
• Cases in ICU or HDU: 25
• Vaccination status of new admissions to hospital*: Unvaccinated or not eligible (69 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 and Hutt, and Northland.

Covid-19 vaccinations administered

• Vaccines administered to date: 4,029,165 first doses; 3,982,004 second doses; 33,986 third primary doses; 2,704,566 first booster doses: 296,611 second booster doses: 265,862 paediatric first doses and 144,422 paediatric second doses.
• Vaccines administered yesterday: 25 first doses; 41 second doses; 19 third primary doses; 714 first booster doses; 11,739 second booster doses; 36 paediatric first doses and 173 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): 4,563
• Number of Rapid Antigen Tests reported total (last 24 hours): 13,953
• PCR tests rolling average (last 7 days): 4,090
• Number of Rapid Antigen Tests dispatched (last seven days as of 28 July 2022): 2.1 million.

Covid-19 Cases

• Total number of new community cases: 7,605
• Number of new cases that have recently travelled overseas: 313
• Seven day rolling average of community cases: 7,618
• Seven day rolling average of community cases (as at same day last week): 8,915
• Number of active cases (total): 53,301 (cases identified in the past seven days and not yet classified as recovered)
• Confirmed cases (total): 1,592,893
• New cases by District and other more detailed case information

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

Covid-19 deaths

There are now a total of 1,479 deaths confirmed as attributable to Covid-19, either as the underlying cause of death or as a contributing factor. This is the number that will be reported to the World Health Organization as it provides the most accurate assessment of Covid -19 related mortality in New Zealand.

'In the past seven days there have been an average of 18 deaths confirmed each day as being attributable to Covid -19,” says a Ministry of Health spokesperson.

'This is a very sad time for whānau and friends of those who have died and our thoughts and condolences are with them.”

Information on the number of new deaths of people with Covid -19 reported to the Ministry of Health in the last 24 hours, and the seven day rolling average, is available on the Ministry of Health website. This includes information on the age band and location of these newly reported deaths.

COVID-19 death data

These newly reported deaths have not yet been categorised as to whether they are attributable to Covid -19, either as the underlying cause of death or as a contributing factor, or are unrelated to Covid-19. As this categorisation is made over coming days, the attributable deaths will be added to the total reported above.