Counties Manukau DHB have now reached 90% fully vaccinated, bringing all three Auckland Metro DHBs to 90% or more fully vaccinated with Auckland DHB sitting on 95% and Waitemata DHB on 92%.

That’s six DHBs in total who are now at 90% fully vaccinated. The following DHBs are all close, on 89% fully vaccinated with numbers required to get to 90% in brackets:

• Midcentral (1,755 doses to go)
• Wairarapa (395 to go)
• Nelson Marlborough (1,905 to go)
• South Canterbury (750 to go)

We are 7,417 doses away from being nationally 90% fully vaccinated, which we expect to achieve in the next day or two.

Testing reminder

It’s important testing advice is followed correctly to help ensure test results continue to be returned in a timely way. The Ministry understands that some people are being tested unnecessarily or at the wrong places.

Unvaccinated people require a COVID-19 test for some travel including to leave Auckland. These people need to get a supervised rapid antigen test from a pharmacy, within 72 hours of travel.

This testing is only for people over the age of 12 years and 3 months, who are not fully vaccinated and do not have any COVID-19 symptoms.

The location and hours of pharmacies offering rapid antigen tests is available from Healthpoint. We ask people getting a rapid antigen test to be patient and kind to pharmacy staff while the system is fine-tuned.

Remember, if you have COVID-19 symptoms then you should call Healthline for advice about getting a PCR test.

Temporary exemptions for My Vaccine Pass:

Earlier this month 70,000 people with overseas vaccinations or incorrect data were emailed a temporary exemption letter from the requirement to produce a My Vaccine Pass.

The majority of these people have now received their My Vaccine Pass and we are issuing a further temporary exemption letter today to some people whose applications are still being processed.

About 5,000 people are getting a week-long exemption while their requests for My Vaccine Passes are cleared, while 20,000 people vaccinated overseas will get an extension to 17 January 2022 while their vaccinations are verified. 

Today’s cases
Today, we are reporting new community cases in Auckland, Waikato, Lakes and Bay of Plenty, and Taranaki.

* The Canterbury case being officially added to today’s figures was announced yesterday but came in after the reporting cut off period.

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.

Death of a patient with COVID-19
The Ministry of Health can confirm that a patient with COVID-19 has passed away at Tauranga Hospital.

The family has requested that no further details be released and, out of respect for those wishes, we will be making no further comment at this time.

Our thoughts are with the patient’s whānau and friends at this deeply sad time.

Auckland

Today, there are 56 new cases being reported in Auckland. 

The number of community cases in the Auckland region decreased for the third consecutive week, with 22% fewer cases than the week prior. This decline is mirrored across all three Auckland Metro DHBs.

Health and welfare providers are now supporting 1,971 people to isolate at home, including 474 cases. 

Waikato

In the Waikato nine new cases were reported overnight; five are in Te Kūiti and four are in Hamilton. All are currently under investigation for links to previous cases.

There are ten pop-up and dedicated testing sites operating throughout Waikato today with sites in Hamilton, Te Kūiti, Ngāruawāhia, Huntly, Taumarunui, Tokoroa, Putāruru and Ōtorohanga.

There are two cases receiving care at Waikato Hospital.

Health and welfare providers are supporting 71 cases to isolate at home.

Bay of Plenty
There are seven cases to report in Tauranga today. Four are linked to previously reported cases, while the other cases are still being investigated for potential links.

Contacts are being identified and will be contacted for testing and isolation advice.

Lakes
Today we are reporting one new case in the Lakes DHB region. This case is in Rotorua and is still being investigated.

Taranaki

Today, we are announcing 15 new cases of COVID-19 in the Taranaki township of Eltham. As these 15 cases were reported overnight, they will be officially added to our case figures tomorrow.

The cases are self-isolating and initial interviews suggest they are all linked to the Eltham case reported on Sunday - with links to four of these new cases already confirmed.

Investigations are also underway to identify, isolate, and test any close contacts and determine any locations of interest. People in Taranaki are asked to monitor the Ministry’s locations of interest page, which is updated regularly.

If you have symptoms – no matter how mild – please, get tested, even if you are vaccinated - and stay at home until you return a negative test result.

COVID-19 testing is available today in Taranaki at:

• Taranaki Base Hospital testing centre, David Street from 9am – 3pm
• Hāwera Hospital, 37 Hunter Street from 10am-2pm
• Eltham Health Centre, 132 high Street until 4.30pm

Further testing locations and times, and vaccination centre details, across Taranaki are available on the Taranaki DHB website. Additional testing capacity will be stood up if, and when, needed.

The majority of these new cases are in pupils who usually attend a school in Eltham, which is now closed for the summer break. Local public health officials are already working with the school on public health advice for the school community, including isolation and testing for some individuals.

Media releases from tomorrow

From tomorrow, the Ministry’s 1pm media release will be published as a news article on the Ministry website at the usual time and tweeted on publication. 

This reflects the move to a more business as usual approach for reporting on the COVID-19 response.

Over the Christmas break there will be regular COVID-19 updates published and tweeted each day apart from:

·       Saturday 25 December,

·       Saturday 1 January, and

·       Saturday 8 January.

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