Auckland has become the second DHB to fully vaccinate 90% of Māori within their rohe.

South Canterbury has become the ninth DHB area to vaccinate 90% of Māori with a first dose. Several other DHBs are getting very close to this milestone.

This is an opportunity to recognise the mahi of Māori providers who have worked hard alongside local DHBs to lift Māori vaccination rates across the motu.

Today, we are reporting 15,102 paediatric doses administered yesterday, bringing the total to 110,123.

There were 56,899 booster doses administered yesterday, bringing the total to 1,110,408.

Boosters lower your chances of getting very sick and being hospitalised from Covid-19 including the Omicron variant, and help to slow the spread of the virus. If you’re 18 or older and it’s been 4 months since your second vaccine dose, get your booster as soon as you can. Book your booster or find a walk-in vaccination centre at BookMyVaccine.nz

Omicron update

Public health officials continue to manage Omicron cases in the community by rapidly isolating cases and contacts, contact tracing, and testing to slow the spread.

To date, there are 56 community cases of Covid-19 that have been confirmed as an Omicron case through whole genome sequencing, or are a suspected Omicron case because they have an identified link to a confirmed Omicron case. Whole genome sequencing is underway for all suspected Omicron cases to confirm the variant.

These include 44 cases linked directly or indirectly, to a family event and other associated events in Auckland on the weekend of 15 and 16 January. The additional 15 cases being reported today are in Auckland, Taranaki, and Nelson Marlborough. Further details are included in the regional updates section.

In addition, there is a total of 12 cases linked to the three border workers reported earlier this month with confirmed or suspected Omicron, an increase of six.

Including the border workers themselves, there are now a total of eight cases associated with the MIQ border worker first reported on 16 January, and three associated with the Auckland airport worker first reported on 21 January. There have been no additional cases linked to Auckland airport worker first reported on 19 January.

The number of cases and contacts are expected to grow given the highly transmissible nature of Omicron and as we learn more from case interviews.

As part of our collective preparations for Omicron, please check your details are up to date with your regular healthcare provider and in the Covid-19 Tracer app.

We also continue to urge anyone with symptoms, or anyone who has been to a location of interest at the times notified to isolate immediately and get tested promptly as advised on the locations of interest webpage.

Covid-19 vaccine update

• Vaccines administered to date (percentage of eligible people): first doses 3,998,986 (95%); 3,915,204 second doses (93%); 37,475 third primary doses; 1,110,408 booster doses
• Vaccines administered yesterday: 1,485 first doses; 2,155 second doses; 583 third primary doses, 15,102 paediatric doses; 56,899 booster doses.
• Māori (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 510,254 first doses (89%); 482,053 second doses (84%).
• Pacific Peoples (percentage of eligible people aged 12+):  276,102 first doses (96%); 267,614 second doses (93%).
• Paediatric vaccines administer to date (percentage of 5-11-year-olds): 110,123 first doses (23%)

Vaccination rates by DHB with active cases (percentage of eligible people)

• Northland DHB: First doses (89%); second doses (86%)
• Auckland Metro DHBs: First doses (97%); second doses (95%)
• Waikato DHB: First doses (95%); second doses (92%)
• Bay of Plenty DHB: First doses (94%); second doses (92%)
• Lakes DHB: First doses (93%); second doses (90%)
• Hawke’s Bay: First doses (96%); second doses (93%)
• MidCentral DHB: First doses (96%); second doses (94%)
• Taranaki DHB: First doses (94%); second doses (92%)
• Wairarapa DHB: First doses (96%); second doses (94%)
• Capital and Coast DHB: First doses (98%); second doses (97%)
• Hutt Valley DHB: First doses (96%); second doses (95%)
• Nelson Marlborough DHB: First doses (96%); second doses (94%)
• Canterbury DHB: First doses (99%); second doses (97%)

Hospitalisations

• Cases in hospital: 6; North Shore: 2; Auckland: 1; Middlemore: 1, Rotorua: 2,
• Vaccination status of current hospitalisations (Northern Region wards only): Unvaccinated or not eligible (0 cases / 0%); partially immunised <7 days from second dose or have only received one dose (0 case / 0%); fully vaccinated at least 7 days before being reported as a case (4 cases / 100%); unknown (0 case / 0%).
• Average age of current hospitalisations: 68
• Cases in ICU or HDU: 0

Cases

• Seven day rolling average of community cases: 27
• Seven day rolling average of border cases: 39
• Number of new community cases: 23
• Number of new cases identified at the border: 36
• Location of new community cases: Northland (1), Auckland (12), Waikato (3), Lakes (5), Capital and Coast (1), Nelson Marlborough (1)
• Number of community cases (total): 11,564 (in current community outbreaks)
• Cases epidemiologically linked (total): 8822
• Number of active cases (total): 481 (cases identified in the past 21 days and not yet classified as recovered)
• Confirmed cases (total): 15,369

Contacts

• Number of active contacts being managed (total): 5686
• Percentage who has received an outbound call from contact tracers (to confirm testing and isolation requirements): 80%
• Percentage who has returned at least one result: 79%

Tests

• Number of tests total (last 24 hours): 27,925
• Tests rolling average (last 7 days): 15,400
• Auckland tests total (last 24 hours): 3,279

Wastewater

No unexpected results.

NZ Covid Tracer

• Poster scans in the 24 hours to midday yesterday: 2,467,835
• Manual diary entries in the 24 hours to midday: 53,354

My Vaccine Pass

• My vaccine pass downloads total: 4,925,704
• My vaccine pass downloads (last 24 hours): 16,228

Today’s cases

We are reporting new community cases in Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Lakes, and Nelson Marlborough.

We are also announcing one case in Taranaki and two cases in Nelson Marlborough that were notified after the Ministry’s reporting deadline. They will be formally added to the numbers tomorrow.

Regional updates

We are continuing to ask anyone in New Zealand with symptoms – no matter how mild – to get tested, even if you’re vaccinated. Please stay at home until you return a negative test result.  We are also asking people to regularly check the locations of interest as these are regularly updated and to follow the advice provided.

Testing and vaccination centre locations nationwide can be found on the Healthpoint website.

Please also continue to check for any updated Locations of Interest and appropriate health advice, updated regularly on the Ministry’s website.

Northland

There is one case to report in Northland who is linked to a previously reported case.

Auckland

There are 12 cases to report in Auckland today.

Some of these cases have been linked to known or suspected Omicron cases, and the others remain under investigation..

Health and welfare providers are now supporting 649 people in the region to isolate at home, including 168 cases.

Waikato

There are three cases to report in Waikato – the first case is linked, and investigations are underway to determine a link for the second.

The third case normally lives in the Waikato, but was tested in Rotorua. Management of the case is being transferred to Lakes.

Taranaki

We are announcing a Covid-19 case in Taranaki, that has been linked to the January Omicron cluster. This case was notified after the Ministry’s reporting deadline and will be included in the case count tomorrow.

This person was on the same flight as the air steward that is part of this cluster and has been isolating since being identified as a close contact.

Whole genome sequencing is underway but, in the interim, this case is being treated as a suspected Omicron.

All close contacts identified to date are in isolation and being tested for Covid-19.

Investigations are continuing into any additional exposure events and locations of interest will be published on the Ministry of Health website as they are identified.

Lakes

There are five cases to report in Rotorua.

Three cases are linked to previously reported cases, and investigations are underway to determine a link for the remaining two.

Bay of Plenty

The Ministry of Health can confirm an early childhood centre in Tauranga has been linked to a suspected Omicron case, first reported yesterday.

The case was present at the BestStart Pyes Pa on 19 January and was likely infectious at the time.

All people present at the childhood centre at the time are being treated as close contacts, being asked to isolate, and get tested immediately.

Toi Te Ora Public Health is working with the Ministry of Education to establish a clear view on who was present at the centre on the day and is in the process of contacting those people.

Details of testing centres in in Tauranga can be found here.

No new cases are being reported on Bay of Plenty.

Wellington

There is one case to report in the Wellington region.

Investigations are underway to determine a link for the case.

Nelson Marlborough

There are three cases to report in the Nelson Tasman region.

One of these cases is part of a household that has been linked to the January Omicron cluster associated with several private events in Auckland over the weekend of 15 and 16 January.

The other two were detected this morning and are under investigation. The cases are being treated as suspected Omicron.

There are now a total of 15 active cases (14 confirmed and 1 probable) in the region, across three households. All members of these households are isolating at home.

Public health would like to thank those who have come forward for testing, and the positive cases for their excellent help and co-operation in our investigations which is giving us the best chance of controlling the outbreak.

Of the cases reported today, one will be reported in today’s official tally and the remaining two will be included in tomorrow’s numbers.