24 new cases – 14 of them in Auckland; 56 new cases at the border

Yesterday, 13,028 child (paediatric) vaccine first doses were administered to 5 to 11-year-olds throughout New Zealand.

Nearly 30,000 children in this age group in New Zealand now have greater protection against Covid-19.

We want to thank children, and the caregivers who supported them, who got their first dose yesterday. We encourage everyone who is eligible to get vaccinated.

New Zealand’s vaccine rollout remains our key defence against all variants of Covid-19, including Omicron.

Yesterday, 38,606 boosters were administered, bringing the total to 828,215, which is 51% of those who are ow due their booster.

Metropolitan Auckland is only 11 second doses short of double vaccinating Pacific people in the region, and should achieve this milestone today. This is an achievement worth celebrating and a testament to the efforts of health providers throughout the region’s communities.

Update on the MIQ worker in Auckland

The border worker’s household contact who returned a positive test yesterday is isolating at home.

Two other household contacts are symptomatic but returned negative tests yesterday.

The border worker’s co-worker who is symptomatic remains in MIQ and has returned a further negative test.

A further 15 contacts amongst the Stamford Plaza Managed Isolation staff are currently isolating at home as contacts of the border case and their co-worker.

The border worker’s whole genome sequencing links them to a person who arrived in New Zealand on a flight that landed on 8 January and tested positive on Day 3 (January 13) of their stay at the Stamford Plaza.

As of this morning, a total of 84 contacts have been identified in relation to the MIQ border worker. At this stage, 79 have returned negative test results and one household contact has returned a positive result, who was reported yesterday. The number of contacts can fluctuate as further investigation rules them out.

Of the contacts identified in relation to the two bus journeys, there are four contacts yet to be reached. Two of these contacts have returned a negative test from following advice on the Locations of Interest web page or advice from a mobile phone notification. While these exposure events are a low public health risk, further efforts to reach all outstanding contacts are being made.

Airport worker

An Auckland airport worker, who is double vaccinated and has had a booster dose, tested positive for Covid-19 yesterday (18 January). Whole genome sequencing for this case will be returned today however from an abundance of caution, the case is currently being managed as an Omicron case.

This person was infectious from the 15 January, however they were not at work while infectious. The case has one household contact who has returned an initial negative test result.

The first of the locations of interest associated with this case are being published on the Ministry of Health website.

Omicron update

To date, there have been 370 Omicron Covid-19 cases detected at the border since 1 December, and 32 cases of the Delta variant.

There are also 203 Covid-19 cases caught at the border that are still undergoing Whole Genome Sequencing. The expectation is that the vast majority will be the Omicron variant.

During the same period, more than 18,000 people have arrived at Managed Isolation and Quarantine facilities.

Covid-19 vaccine update

• Vaccines administered to date (percentage of eligible people): 3,991,612 first doses (95%); 3,901,726 second doses (93%); 36,029 third primary doses; 828,215 booster doses
• Vaccines administered yesterday: 1222 first doses; 2,318 second doses; 579 third primary doses and 38,606 booster doses.
• Māori (percentage of eligible people): 507,347 first doses (89%); 477,447 second doses (84%).
• Pacific Peoples (percentage of eligible people): 274,821 first doses (96%); 265,700 second doses (93%).

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 (94%); second doses (92%)
• Bay of Plenty DHB: First doses (94%); second doses (91%)
• Lakes DHB: First doses (93%); second doses (89%)
• Hawke’s Bay DHB: First doses (96%); second doses (93%)
• Wairarapa DHB: First doses (96%); second doses (93%)
• Capital and Coast DHB: First doses (98%); second doses (97%)
• Hutt Valley DHB: First doses (96%); second doses (94%)
• Canterbury DHB: First doses (99%); second doses (97%)

Hospitalisations

• Cases in hospital: 24; North Shore: 6; Auckland: 11; Middlemore: 6; Tauranga: 1.
• Vaccination status of current hospitalisations (Northern Region wards only): Unvaccinated or not eligible (8 cases / 38%); partially immunised <7 days from second dose or have only received one dose (3 case / 14%); fully vaccinated at least 7 days before being reported as a case (9 cases / 43%); unknown (1 case / 5%).
• Average age of current hospitalisations: 57
• Cases in ICU or HDU: 2; Middlemore: 1; Tauranga: 1

Cases

• Seven day rolling average of community cases: 21
• Seven day rolling average of border cases: 35
• Number of new community cases: 24
• Number of new cases identified at the border: 56
• Location of new community cases: Northland (1), Auckland (14), Waikato (1),  Lakes (5), Bay of Plenty (1), Hawke’s Bay (1), Hutt Valley (1).
• Number of community cases (total): 11,360 (in current community outbreak)
• Cases epidemiologically linked (total): 8655
• Number of active cases (total): 507 (cases identified in the past 21 days and not yet classified as recovered)
• Confirmed cases (total): 14,874

Contacts

• Number of active contacts being managed (total): 4813
• Percentage who has received an outbound call from contact tracers (to confirm testing and isolation requirements): 79%
• Percentage who has returned at least one result: 79%

Tests

• Number of tests total (last 24 hours): 16,823
• Tests rolling average (last 7 days): 13,956
• Auckland tests total (last 24 hours): 8756

Wastewater

No unexpected results.

NZ Covid Tracer

• Poster scans in the 24 hours to midday yesterday: 2,352,443
• Manual diary entries in the 24 hours to midday: 43,010

My Vaccine Pass

• My vaccine pass downloads total: 4,831,138
• My vaccine pass downloads (last 24 hours): 13,709

Today’s cases

*We are reporting new community cases in Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Lakes, Bay of Plenty, Hawke’s Bay and Wellington.

We are also announcing new cases in Hawke’s Bay and Canterbury which were notified after the Ministry’s reporting deadline. They will be formally added to the tally 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.

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 at Contact tracing locations of interest.

Northland

There is one case in Kaikohe, Northland.

The case is a close contact of a previously reported case and was already isolating when they tested positive.

Auckland

There are 14 cases to report in Auckland.

Health and welfare providers are now supporting 865 people in the region to isolate at home, including 140 cases.

Waikato

There is one new case in the Waikato. The case is in Hamilton and is being investigated for a link to a previously reported case.

Pop-up testing sites are operating Ōtorohanga,Te Kūiti, Ngāruawāhia, Morrinsville, Huntly, Taumarunui, Tokoroa, Putāruru and Hamilton today. For details of all dedicated testing sites including other general practices, visit Healthpoint, the Waikato DHB website or the DHB Facebook page.

There were 1186 tests processed in Waikato yesterday and 4899 vaccinations given.

In the Waikato, Public Health, primary care and manaaki providers are supporting 19 cases to isolate at home.

Lakes

There are five new cases to report in the Lakes DHB region today, all in the Rotorua District.

Four of today’s cases are linked to previously reported cases, one case is still being investigated to determine any links.

All cases are isolating at home or in managed accommodation.

Bay of Plenty

There is one new case to report in Tauranga today, investigations are ongoing to determine a link to any known cases.

The case is isolating at home.

Hawke’s Bay

The Ministry of Health can confirm a further two Covid-19 positive tests have been returned for Hastings residents, taking the total number of active cases in the region to four.

One of these cases was notified after the daily reporting cut-off and will be included in tomorrow’s official case figures.

Both cases are linked to a location of interest previously reported at Tu Step Fitness Class at the Ascende Global Church, Hastings.

The cases were already isolating when they tested positive, with health and welfare support.

Public health officials are continuing to investigate the cases’ movement and contacting any close contact.

Any new locations of interest associated with these cases will be published at Contact tracing locations of interest.

Wellington

There is one case to report in Hutt Valley today.

The case is a contact of a previously reported cases and was already isolating when they tested positive.

The Wellington region has 12 active cases.

Canterbury

Today we are announcing a new case in Canterbury.

This case is linked to a previously reported case and was already isolating at home when they tested positive.

This case was notified after the daily reporting cut-off and will be included in tomorrow’s official case figures.