MINISTRY OF HEALTH UPDATE
Today there are 14,128 cases to report and 943 people in hospital with Covid-19.
We are continuing to see increases in hospitalisations and demand in primary care and the Ministry of Health would like to acknowledge and sincerely thank health staff throughout the country who have been working tirelessly to care for those with Covid-19, on top of the range of care being provided to people across the health system.
The Ministry continues to work closely with DHBs to ensure there is a good level of capacity across the health system.
The best way to reduce the risk of severe illness from Covid-19 is to be up to date with vaccinations.
So, if you’re due any dose of the vaccine, including a booster, please get vaccinated as quickly as possible to ensure you are well protected against Omicron.
Positive or negative, please report your RAT results
The Ministry would like to thank the many people who are getting tested and reporting results.
Our message today is simple: positive, or negative, please report your RAT result.
It only takes a couple of minutes, and helps health officials assess the outbreak and better understand the spread of Omicron.
In addition to reporting the test results through ‘My Covid Record’, parents and caregivers are now able to report test results of children under 12 and other family members by calling the My Covid Record team on 0800 222 478.
Covid-19 related deaths
Sadly, 5 deaths of people with Covid-19 have been formally reported in the past 24 hours.
This takes the total number of publicly reported Covid related deaths to 156 and the 7-day rolling average of reported deaths to 8.
Delays to reporting can be associated with people dying with, rather than of Covid-19, and Covid being determined after they have died. Due to these fluctuations in the daily reported figures, the Ministry regards the 7 day rolling average as a better indicator of deaths with Covid.
Of the 5 people who have died, two were from Auckland, one from Waikato, one from Canterbury, and one from the Hutt Valley.
Of these people, one was in their 50s, two in their 70s and two in their 80s. Two were women and three were men.
Our thoughts are with their family and friends at this sad time.
Out of respect, we will be making no further comment.
Vaccinations administered in New Zealand
- Vaccines administered to date: 4,023,904 first doses; 3,970,889 second doses; 34,232 third primary doses; 2,539,738 booster doses: 255,816 paediatric first doses and 24,042 paediatric second doses
- Vaccines administered yesterday: 290 first doses; 513 second doses; 39 third primary doses; 5335 booster doses; 370 paediatric first doses and 4272 paediatric second doses
People vaccinated
- All Ethnicities (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 4,052,583 first dose (96.3%); 3,999,131 second dose (95%), 2,539,049 boosted (72.8% of those eligible)
- Māori (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 519,733 first dose (91%); 501,544 second dose (87.8%), 223,758 boosted (59% of those eligible)
- Pacific Peoples (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 281,159 first dose (98.1%); 275,841 second dose (96.2%), 133,417 boosted (59.7% of those eligible)
- 5 to 11-year-olds all ethnicities: 255,249 first dose (53.6%); 23,545 second dose (4.9%)
- 5 to 11-year-olds – Māori: 39,670 first dose (34.3%); 2,889 second dose (2.5%)
- 5 to 11-year-olds – Pacific Peoples: 22,940 first dose (46.4%); 1,459 second dose (3%)
Note that the number for “People vaccinated” differs slightly from “Vaccines administered” as it includes those that have been vaccinated overseas.
Vaccination rates for all DHBs*
- Northland DHB: first dose (90%); second dose (87.8%); boosted (69.8%)
- Auckland Metro DHB: first dose (97.2%); second dose (96.1%); boosted (70.9%)
- Waikato DHB: first dose (95%); second dose (93.4%); boosted (68.5%)
- Bay of Plenty DHB: first dose (94.9%); second dose (93.2%); boosted (68.8%)
- Lakes DHB: first dose (93.2%); second dose (91.4%); boosted (69.1%)
- MidCentral DHB: first dose (96.4%); second dose (95.1%); boosted (74.6%)
- Tairāwhiti DHB: first dose (93.2%); second dose (90.8%); boosted (69.7%)
- Whanganui DHB: first dose (91.9%); second dose (90.3%); boosted (74.1%)
- Hawke’s Bay DHB: first dose (96.9%); second dose (95.2%); boosted (72.7%)
- Taranaki DHB: first dose (94.5%); second dose (93%); boosted (70.2%)
- Wairarapa DHB: first dose (96.4%); second dose (94.9%); boosted (75.2%)
- Capital & Coast DHB: first dose (98.5%); second dose (97.8%); boosted (81.3%)
- Hutt Valley DHB: first dose (96.6%); second dose (95.5%); boosted (77.2%)
- Nelson Marlborough DHB: first dose (96.4%); second dose (95.2%); boosted (76.1%)
- West Coast DHB: first dose (92.5%); second dose (91%); boosted (74.1%)
- Canterbury DHB: first dose (99.6%); second dose (98.6%); boosted (75.7%)
- South Canterbury DHB: first dose (94.9%); second dose (93.8%); boosted (76.8%)
- Southern DHB: first dose (98%); second dose (96.9%); boosted (75.2%)
*Partially and second doses percentages are for those 12+. Boosted percentages are for 18+ who have become eligible 3 months after having their second dose
Percentages are based on 2020 HSU data – a health-specific population denominator. As the population continues to change over time, coverage rates can exceed 100%.
Hospitalisations*
- Cases in hospital: total number 943: Northland: 22; North Shore: 177; Middlemore: 230; Auckland: 209; Waikato: 68; Bay of Plenty: 35; Lakes: 8; Tairāwhiti: 4, Hawke’s Bay: 23; Taranaki: 6; MidCentral: 13; Hutt Valley: 18; Capital and Coast: 44; Wairarapa: 5; Whanganui: 1; Nelson Marlborough: 13; Canterbury: 47; South Canterbury: 2; Southern: 18
- Average age of current hospitalisations: 58
- Cases in ICU or HDU: 25
- Vaccination status of current hospitalisations (Northern Region only, excluding Emergency Departments): Unvaccinated or not eligible (96 cases / 16.8%); partially immunised <7 days from second dose or have only received one dose (18 cases / 3.1%); double vaccinated at least 7 days before being reported as a case (194 cases / 33.9%); Received booster at least 7 days before being reported as a case (198 cases / 34.5%); unknown (67 cases / 11.7%)
*The figures show that just under 3% of people aged 12 and over in the Northern Region have had no doses of the vaccine, while of those aged 12 and over in Northland and Auckland hospitals with Covid-19 for whom we have vaccination status recorded, 16.4% have had no doses of the vaccine and are five times over-represented in our hospitalisation figures.
Cases
- Seven day rolling average of community cases: 17,673
- Number of new community cases: 14,128
- Number of new community cases (PCR): 382
- Number of new community cases (RAT): 13,746
- Location of new community cases (PCR & RAT): Northland (536), Auckland (3498), Waikato (1333), Bay of Plenty (956), Lakes (416), Hawke’s Bay (841), MidCentral (599), Whanganui (205), Taranaki (470), Tairāwhiti (232), Wairarapa (164), Capital and Coast (906), Hutt Valley (549), Nelson Marlborough (416), Canterbury (1937), South Canterbury (135), Southern (890), West Coast (39); Unknown (6)
- Number of new cases identified at the border: 18
- Number of active community cases (total): 123,701 (cases identified in the past 7 days and not yet classified as recovered)
- Confirmed cases (total): 451,537
Please note, the Ministry of Health’s daily reported cases may differ slightly from those reported at a DHB 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.
Tests
- Number of PCR tests total (last 24 hours): 4456
- Number of Rapid Antigen Tests reported total (last 24 hours): 40,157
- PCR tests rolling average (last 7 days): 4256
- Number of Rapid Antigen Tests dispatched (last 7 days as of 15/03/22): 10.8 million
