The Ministry of Health are today reporting 6232 new community cases of Covid-19, 769 current hospitalisations. There are 243 new cases of Covid from people who have recently travelled overseas. There are 18 people in ICU.

The Ministry says that today's reported deaths with Covid--19 (COVID-19 death data) of 67 includes deaths between May 12 2022 to July 30 2022.

'This higher number reflects a recent data reconciliation process,” says a Ministry of Health spokesperson.

'Of the 67, only 25 were in the past week. These figures are now usually reported only on the website but are in today's statement because of this additional information.”

The Ministry says the assessment of whether these deaths are attributable to Covid--19 will be made in coming days.

'Of the 67 people whose deaths we are reporting today, nine were from Northland, 16 were from Auckland region, seven were from Waikato, two were from Bay of Plenty, two were from Lakes, one was from Hawke's Bay, four were from Taranaki, six were from MidCentral, three were from Wellington region, eight were from Canterbury, one was from West Coast, seven were from Southern.”

Six were in their 20s, three were in their 30s, five were in their 40s, four were in their 50s, six were in their 60s, ten were in their 70s, 22 were in their 80s and 11 were aged over 90. Of these people, 27 were women and 40 were men.

'As at yesterday, Friday July 29, there were a total of 1,479 deaths confirmed as attributable to Covid-19, either as the underlying cause of death or as a contributing factor,” says the Ministry of Health spokesperson.

There are 270 new cases in the Bay of Plenty region and 124 in the Lakes region. There are 34 people in Bay of Plenty hospitals with Covid-19 and 15 in Lakes hospitals.

The seven-day rolling average of community case numbers today is 7405.

Covid-19 Hospitalisations

• Covid-19 Cases in hospital*: total number 769: Northland: 15; Waitematā: 75; Counties Manukau: 51; Auckland: 140; Waikato: 97; Bay of Plenty: 34; Lakes: 15; Hawke's Bay: 37; MidCentral: 48; Whanganui: 14; Taranaki: 18; Tairawhiti: 3; Wairarapa: 6; Capital & Coast/Hutt: 29; Nelson Marlborough: 15; Canterbury/West Coast: 113; South Canterbury: 16; Southern: 43.
• Weekly Covid-19 Hospitalisations - 7 day rolling average: 797 (This time last week 764)
• Average age of current Covid-19 hospitalisations: 64
• Cases in ICU or HDU: 18
• Vaccination status of new admissions to hospital*: Unvaccinated or not eligible (63 cases); partially immunised

* Hospitalisation numbers from Te Whatu Ora Counties Manukau and Te Whatu Ora Waikato were unavailable this morning, so yesterday's numbers have been used.

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: 4,029,197 first doses; 3,982,035 second doses; 34,005 third primary doses; 2,705,317 first booster doses: 308,483 second booster doses: 265,923 paediatric first doses and 144,637 paediatric second doses.
• Vaccines administered yesterday: 35 first doses; 29 second doses; 17 third primary doses; 725 first booster doses; 11,798 second booster doses; 60 paediatric first doses and 214 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): 3,467
• Number of Rapid Antigen Tests reported total (last 24 hours): 12,270
• PCR tests rolling average (last 7 days): 4,063
• 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: 6,232
• Number of new cases that have recently travelled overseas: 243
• Seven day rolling average of community cases: 7,405
• Seven day rolling average of community cases (as at same day last week): 8,703
• Number of active cases (total): 54,192 (cases identified in the past seven days and not yet classified as recovered)
• Confirmed cases (total): 1,599,202
• 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**

** Please note, updates on deaths confirmed as attributable to Covid--19 are only available on weekdays.

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 – to Friday 29 July – there was an average of 18 deaths confirmed each day as being attributable to Covid--19.

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

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.

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.