More than 2.1 million booster shots have now been given nationally, with over 25,000 administered on Friday.

The booster dose is critical in our fight against the Omicron variant as it continues to spread through the country, and it’s vital that the success of last week’s Big Boost push continues. New Zealanders have made great progress around getting vaccinated and boosted, but we can’t afford to relax now.

Getting the booster dose greatly reduces your chances of getting severely ill and requiring hospital care if you test positive for COVID-19, so if it’s been three months since your last dose, please book your booster today.

To continue to encourage booster uptake, we are now reporting the percentage of the eligible population who have received a booster by DHB region.

How you can support the COVID-19 response

Under Phase 2, the health response will, more than ever, be supported by everyone playing their part to lessen the impact of the Omicron outbreak.

This means wear your mask, use your vaccine pass, and keep your distance. And, if you haven’t already, get boosted.

With the response focusing on the most high-risk locations of interest, such as aged care and correction facilities, people will play a bigger role in identifying their own contacts and exposure events.

This means if you test positive for COVID-19, it’s more important than ever that you let your employer and potential contacts know, so they can act.

If you test positive, you will get a text from 2328 with an access code and a link to the contact tracing form to complete as well as information regarding self-isolation and general advice for cases.

Completing this form as soon as possible will ensure we can alert people who have been potentially exposed and is vital in supporting the health response to Omicron under Phase 2.

Most people with Omicron will have mild illness and won't require additional support. Those who need more support whether it’s because they are unable to use the self-service technology or that they have high health or social needs, will receive supported assistance throughout their isolation period tailored to their individual needs.   

As always, anyone with any cold or flu symptoms that could be COVID-19 is asked to get a test and isolate at home until a negative result is returned and they are feeling well. Regardless of your test result, it is still important that anyone who is unwell stays home to reduce the spread of other viruses.

The most common early symptom of the Omicron variant is a cough, followed by a sore throat.

COVID-19 vaccine update 

• Vaccines administered to date (percentage of eligible people aged 12 and over): 4,237,941 first doses (96%); 3,951,572 second doses (95%); 2,107,058 booster doses (65%). 
• Vaccines administered yesterday:1,039 first doses; 897 second doses; 761 paediatric doses; 25,364 booster doses. 
• Māori (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 517,450 first doses (91%); 495,172 second doses (87%). 
• Pacific Peoples (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 279,734 first doses (98%); 273,135 second doses (95%).  
• Paediatric vaccines administered to date (percentage of 5-11-year-olds): 222,188 first doses (47%).  
• Māori (percentage of eligible people aged 5-11): 31,694 first doses (27%).  
• Pacific Peoples (percentage of eligible people aged 5-11): 18,605 first doses (38%). 

Vaccination rates for all DHBs (percentage of eligible people aged 12 +) 

• Northland DHB: first doses (90%); second doses (88%), booster doses (66%)
• Auckland Metro DHBs: first doses (97%); second doses (96%), booster doses (62%)
• Waikato DHB: first doses (95%); second doses (93%), booster doses (62%)  
• Bay of Plenty DHB: first doses (95%); second doses (93%), booster doses (64%)  
• Lakes DHB: first doses (93%); second doses (91%), booster doses (65%)  
• MidCentral DHB: first doses (97%); second doses (95%), booster doses (68%)  
• Tairāwhiti DHB: first doses (93%); second doses (90%), booster doses (65%)  
• Whanganui DHB: first doses (92%); second doses (90%), booster doses (70%)  
• Hawke’s Bay DHB: first doses (97%); second doses (95%), booster doses (67%)
• Taranaki DHB: first doses (95%); second doses (93%), booster doses (63%) 
• Wairarapa DHB: first doses (97%); second doses (95%), booster doses (71%)  
• Capital and Coast DHB: first doses (99%); second doses (98%), booster doses (71%)  
• Hutt Valley DHB: first doses (97%); second doses (95%), booster doses (69%)  
• Nelson Marlborough DHB: first doses (97%); second doses (95%), booster doses (73%)  
• West Coast DHB: first doses (93%); second doses (91%), booster doses (70%)  
• Canterbury DHB: first doses (100%); second doses (98%), booster doses (66%) 
• South Canterbury DHB: first doses (95%); second doses (94%), booster doses (71%) 
• Southern DHB: first doses (98%); second doses (96%), booster doses (71%)

Hospitalisations 

• Cases in hospital: total number 76: Northland: 1; North Shore: 7; Middlemore: 25; Auckland: 36; Rotorua: 1; Tauranga: 3; Waikato: 2; Tairāwhiti: 1
• Average age of current hospitalisations: 59
• Cases in ICU or HDU: 0
• Vaccination status of current hospitalisations (Northern Region only, excluding Emergency Departments): Unvaccinated or not eligible (10 cases / 17.5%); partially immunised <7 days from second dose or have only received one dose (3 cases / 5.3%); fully vaccinated at least 7 days before being reported as a case (39 cases / 68.4%); unknown (5 cases / 8.8%).

Cases 

• Seven day rolling average of community cases: 1,232
• Seven day rolling average of border cases: 11
• Number of new community cases: 1,901
• Location of new community cases*: Northland (33), Auckland (1,240), Waikato (249), Bay of Plenty (66), Lakes (11), Hawke’s Bay (22), MidCentral (12), Whanganui (10), Taranaki (10), Tairāwhiti (12), Wairarapa (17), Capital and Coast (38), Hutt Valley (31), Nelson Marlborough (40), Canterbury (40), South Canterbury (2), West Coast (1), Southern (65). Unknown (2)
• Number of new cases identified at the border: 14 (including 5 historical cases)
• Location of origin of border cases: Malaysia (1), Singapore (1), Full travel history not obtained (7).
• Number of active community cases (total): 11,601 (cases identified in the past 21 days and not yet classified as recovered) 
• Confirmed cases (total): 28,360

* 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 tests total (last 24 hours): 30,642
• Tests rolling average (last 7 days): 26,399
• Number of Rapid Antigen Tests stock available in New Zealand: 7.5 million (Please note that this number is not updated over the weekend and reflects the number of tests as of Friday.)