Today the Ministry of Health are reporting 2,780 community cases and 336 current hospitalisations. There are 111 new cases in the Bay of Plenty.

"The seven-day rolling average of community case numbers today is 3,061 – last Thursday it was 3,928," says a Ministry of Health spokesperson.

"The seven-day rolling average of hospitalisations today is 416 – last Thursday it was 527.

"There are now a total of 1,845 deaths confirmed as attributable to COVID-19, either as the underlying cause of death or as a contributing factor. The seven-day rolling average increase in total deaths attributable to COVID-19 is now seven.

"Please note: The daily 1pm COVID-19 update is being fine-tuned to reflect the level of data provided daily on the Ministry of Health website.

"The key changes are that the update will now be produced from Monday to Friday and information about the COVID-19 vaccine response, already provided on the website each day during the week, will no longer be included in the daily 1pm update.

"These changes will begin after tomorrow (Friday, 26 August 2022)."

COVID-19 Hospitalisations

• COVID-19 Cases in hospital: total number 336: Northland: 5; Waitematā: 43; Counties Manukau: 26; Auckland: 53; Waikato: 58; Bay of Plenty: 10; Lakes: 10; Hawke's Bay: 17; MidCentral: 15; Whanganui: 1; Taranaki: 8; Tairawhiti: 0; Wairarapa: 8; Capital & Coast: 13; Hutt Valley: 14; Nelson Marlborough: 8; Canterbury: 37; West Coast: 1; South Canterbury: 1; Southern: 8.
• Weekly COVID-19 Hospitalisations - 7 day rolling average: 416 (This time last week 527)
• Average age of current COVID-19 hospitalisations: 63
• Cases in ICU or HDU: 6
• Vaccination status of new admissions to hospital*: Unvaccinated or not eligible (44 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/West Coast, Southern, Counties Manukau, Waikato, Capital & Coast/Hutt, Waitemata and Northland.

COVID-19 vaccinations administered

• Vaccines administered to date: 4,029,719 first doses; 3,982,693 second doses; 34,062 third primary doses; 2,718,389 first booster doses: 478,454 second booster doses: 266,707 paediatric first doses and 147,789 paediatric second doses
• Vaccines administered yesterday: 31 first doses; 29 second doses; 7 third primary doses; 473 first booster doses; 6,352 second booster doses; 23 paediatric first doses and 71 paediatric second doses

Tests

• Number of PCR tests total (last 24 hours): 3,141
• Number of Rapid Antigen Tests reported total (last 24 hours): 8,218
• PCR tests rolling average (last 7 days): 3,096
• Number of Rapid Antigen Tests dispatched (last seven days as of 24 August 2022): 1,600,000

COVID-19 Cases

• Total number of new community cases: 2,780
• Number of new cases that have recently travelled overseas: 142
• Seven day rolling average of community cases: 3,061
• Seven day rolling average of community cases (as at same day last week): 3,930
• Number of active cases (total): 21,420 (cases identified in the past seven days and not yet classified as recovered)
• Confirmed cases (total): 1,712,346
• 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 1,845 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 seven 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."

Winter illness update  

This update is provided each Thursday.

• In the week to 21 August, 67 people were in Auckland and Counties Manukau hospitals for SARI illness (sever acute respiratory infection). Human Metapneumovirus was detected in 55% of those tested, rhinovirus in 38%, SARS-CoV-2 in 10%, and influenza in 1.6%.  
• Other causes of infection, where known, were enteroviruses, adenoviruses, RSV, parainfluenza virus and RSV.  

"The current rate of hospitalisations in Auckland and Counties Manukau is in line with rates seen in pre-COVID-19 years."