The Ministry of Health is today reporting 4238 new community cases of Covid-19, 806 current hospitalisations and 12 people in ICU.

There are 162 new cases in the Bay of Plenty region over the last 24 hours, and 99 in the Lakes region. There are 31 people with Covid-19 in Bay of Plenty hospitals, and 17 in Lakes hospitals.

There are 226 new cases from people who have recently returned from overseas. This figure along with the 4238 new community cases makes a total of 4464 new cases in NZ in the last 24 hours.

The seven-day rolling average of community case numbers today is 7,183.

The Ministry of Health is reporting 23* deaths in the last 24 hours.

'Of the 23 people whose deaths we are reporting today, four were from Auckland region, five were from Waikato, three were from Bay of Plenty, three were from Hawke's Bay, two were from Wellington region, four were from Canterbury, one was from West Coast, one was from Southern,” says a Ministry of Health spokesperson.

'One was in their 30s, one was in their 40s, one was in their 60s, two were in their 70s, ten were in their 80s and eight were aged over 90. Of these people, 11 were women and 12 were men.”

*The change in total deaths with COVID may not be equal to the number of new deaths reported today. This is because deaths that occurred more than 28 days after a positive test that are subsequently determined to be unrelated to COVID are removed from the total.

'As at yesterday, Saturday July 29, there were a total of 1,502 deaths confirmed as attributable to Covid-19, either as the underlying cause of death or as a contributing factor,” says a Ministry of Health spokesperson.

The average increase in deaths each day attributable to Covid -19, over the past seven days to yesterday, is now 19.

Covid-19 hospitalisations

• CovidV-19 Cases in hospital*: total number 806: Northland: 18; Waitematā: 88; Counties Manukau: 51; Auckland: 139; Waikato: 96; Bay of Plenty: 31; Lakes: 17; Hawke's Bay: 39; MidCentral: 52; Whanganui: 14; Taranaki: 20; Tairāwhiti: 2; Wairarapa: 6; Capital & Coast/Hutt: 36; Nelson Marlborough: 18; Canterbury/West Coast: 120; South Canterbury: 16; Southern: 43.
• Weekly Covid -19 Hospitalisations - 7 day rolling average: 810 (This time last week 762)
• Average age of current Covid-19 hospitalisations: 65
• Cases in ICU or HDU: 12
• Vaccination status of new admissions to hospital*: Unvaccinated or not eligible (53 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: 4,029,228 first doses; 3,982,059 second doses; 34,012 third primary doses; 2,706,118 first booster doses: 313,459 second booster doses: 266,012 paediatric first doses and 144,989 paediatric second doses
• Vaccines administered yesterday: 31 first doses; 22 second doses; 7 third primary doses; 800 first booster doses; 4,975 second booster doses; 88 paediatric first doses and 351 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): 2,901
• Number of Rapid Antigen Tests reported total (last 24 hours): 7,928
• PCR tests rolling average (last 7 days): 4,073
• Number of Rapid Antigen Tests dispatched (for seven days up to 28 July 2022): 2.1 million.

Covid-19 cases

• Total number of new community cases: 4,238
• Number of new cases that have recently travelled overseas: 226
• Seven day rolling average of community cases: 7,183
• Seven day rolling average of community cases (as at same day last week): 8,600
• Number of active cases (total): 50,258 (cases identified in the past seven days and not yet classified as recovered)
• Confirmed cases (total): 1,603,545
• 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 1,502 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 Saturday 30 July – there was an average of 19 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.

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.