Due to data issues today, the hospitalisation counts for some regions were incorrectly reported in our online statement. This affected the overall number for cases in hospital and also hospitalisation numbers for Northland, Auckland and Counties Manukau DHBs. These figures have now been updated below and online. Please use these figures when reporting today’s hospitalised cases.

The data for average age and vaccination status reflected is from a different source than the hospitalisation counts and there are no changes to this data.

·            Cases in hospital: total number 773: Northland: 8; Auckland 158; Waitematā 154; Counties Manukau 195; Waikato: 71; BOP: 23; Lakes: 9; Tairāwhiti: 4, Hawke’s Bay: 21; Taranaki: 10; MidCentral: 17; Whanganui: 3; Hutt Valley: 17; Capital & Coast: 46; Nelson Marlborough: 4; Canterbury: 18; Timaru: 2; Southern: 13.

·            Average age of current hospitalisations: 54

·            Cases in ICU or HDU: 16

·            Vaccination status of current hospitalisations (Northern Region only, excluding Emergency Departments): Unvaccinated or not eligible (109 cases / 19.89%); partially immunised <7 days from second dose or have only received one dose (16 cases / 2.92%); double vaccinated at least 7 days before being reported as a case (230 cases / 41.97%); Received booster at least 7 days before being reported as a case (175 cases / 31.93%); unknown (18 cases / 3.28%)

Today’s full statement can be viewed here: https://www.health.govt.nz/news-media/news-items/90-wairarapa-maori-fully-vaccinated-21015-community-cases-773-hospital-16-icu-1-death

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Wairarapa has become the seventh DHB area to reach 90% fully vaccinated for Māori. This milestone is another opportunity to celebrate the mahi of staff at vaccine clinics, health providers and iwi who are working to ensure Māori are well protected against COVID-19.

Vaccination is our best defence against Omicron and we’re continuing to encourage everyone who can, to get vaccinated – and boosted if you are over 18 and your second dose was at least 3 months ago. Being vaccinated greatly reduces the likelihood of becoming severely ill and requiring hospital care if you catch Omicron. You can find your closest vaccination centre by visiting BookMyVaccine.nz.

DHBs and current case levels

Today we are reporting 21,015 new community cases and 845 people in hospital with the virus. There are now more people in hospital with COVID-19 than at any other point over the last two years.  

DHBs have been planning and preparing for managing COVID-19 and the higher number of cases in the community which are resulting in more people in hospital. Our hospitals and their dedicated teams are continuing to do what’s needed to make sure everyone gets the treatment they need.

DHBs have the flexibility to change their operations to respond to sharp increases in COVID-19 case numbers. Significant effort has been made by DHBs to maintain service delivery over recent months and measures have been put in place, like extended hours, weekend lists, outsourcing, and increased use of telehealth to maintain delivery. DHBs are also prioritising urgent and non-deferable cases which is ensuring they can cope with these extra demands. We sincerely thank them for their continued efforts during this time.

Changes to reporting COVID-19 deaths

From today, the Ministry is moving to a new approach to reporting deaths of people who have COVID-19.

We will automatically report all deaths of people who die within 28 days of testing positive for COVID-19. This is the approach used by the UK and many other countries. As of today, this number is 81.

We will also be providing the following additional details that will include some deaths reported outside of the 28 day window:

• People for whom it is clear that COVID-19 is the cause of death. As of today, this number is 34.
• People who had (or were subsequently found to have) COVID-19 when they died but their cause of death was clearly not COVID-19 related. As of today, this number is 2.
• People whose cause of death is still under investigation e.g. it is being considered by the Coroner, but we know they had COVID-19 when they died. As of today, this number is 48.

Over time, as more information is provided about some of the reported deaths, our website data will be updated to reflect that.

Whenever new deaths are publicly reported, the Ministry will include a new total of deaths in its 1pm statements.

As part of our new process, we are today reconciling the figures we have previously reported publicly – a total of 83 deaths - with the deaths of people who have died within 28 days of testing positive for COVID and who are in the national databases.

As result, we are confirming nine additional deaths, all of whom died within 28 days of having COVID-19. With one death announced in Bay of Plenty yesterday subsequently being found not to be COVID-19 related, the total number of deaths publicly reported to date is 91.

Of the nine deaths which are being reported today, one died yesterday in North Shore Hospital. The remaining eight all died in the past fortnight: four in late February and four in March. seven of the deaths were in Auckland and one in Waikato. One was in their sixties; three in their seventies; two in their eighties; one in their nineties and one over 100 years of age.

We offer our sincere condolences to their families and whānau.

COVID-19 vaccine update

Vaccinations administered in New Zealand  

• Vaccines administered to date: 4,022,125 first doses; 3,966,593 second doses; 34,154 third primary doses; 2,488,753 booster doses: 251,583 paediatric first doses and 6,041 paediatric second doses  
• Vaccines administered yesterday: 282 first doses; 822 second doses; 42 third primary doses; 8,970 booster doses; 625 paediatric first doses and 295 paediatric second doses  

People vaccinated  

• All Ethnicities (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 4,067,584 first dose (96.6%); 4,009,395 second dose (95.3%), 2,490,396 boosted (72.6% of those eligible)  
• Māori (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 520,560 first dose (91.2%); 501,286 second dose (87.8%), 217,026 boosted (59.8% of those eligible)  
• Pacific Peoples (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 281,445 first dose (98.2%); 275,731 second dose (96.2%), 129,657 boosted (59.5% of those eligible)  
• 5 to 11-year-olds all ethnicities: 251,395 first dose (52.8%); 5,940 second dose (1.2%)  
• 5 to 11-year-olds - Māori: 38,587 first dose (33.4%); 987 second dose (0.9%)  
• 5 to 11-year-olds - Pacific Peoples: 22,393 first dose (45.3%); 703 second dose (1.4%)  

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 (90.5%); second dose (88.1%); boosted (70.3%)  
• Auckland Metro DHB: first dose (97.4%); second dose (96.2%); boosted (70.4%)  
• Waikato DHB: first dose (95.4%); second dose (93.7%); boosted (68.5%)  
• Bay of Plenty DHB: first dose (95.4%); second dose (93.5%); boosted (69.2%)  
• Lakes DHB: first dose (93.7%); second dose (91.7%); boosted (69.5%)  
• MidCentral DHB: first dose (96.9%); second dose (95.4%); boosted (74.9%)  
• Tairāwhiti DHB: first dose (93.5%); second dose (91%); boosted (70%)  
• Whanganui DHB: first dose (92.5%); second dose (90.7%); boosted (74.5%)  
• Hawke’s Bay DHB: first dose (97.4%); second dose (95.5%); boosted (72.8%)  
• Taranaki DHB: first dose (94.9%); second dose (93.3%); boosted (69.9%)  
• Wairarapa DHB: first dose (96.8%); second dose (95.2%); boosted (75.6%)  
• Capital & Coast DHB: first dose (98.8%); second dose (98%); boosted (81.1%)  
• Hutt Valley DHB: first dose (97%); second dose (95.8%); boosted (77.2%)  
• Nelson Marlborough DHB: first dose (97%); second dose (95.6%); boosted (76.2%)  
• West Coast DHB: first dose (93.1%); second dose (91.3%); boosted (74.5%)  
• Canterbury DHB: first dose (99.9%); second dose (98.9%); boosted (75.2%)  
• South Canterbury DHB: first dose (95.5%); second dose (94.3%); boosted (76.7%)  
• Southern DHB: first dose (98.3%); second dose (97%); boosted (75.1%)

*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

Hospitalisations* 

•  Cases in hospital: total number 773: Northland: 8; Auckland 158; Waitematā 154; Counties Manukau 195; Waikato: 71; BOP: 23; Lakes: 9; Tairāwhiti: 4, Hawke’s Bay: 21; Taranaki: 10; MidCentral: 17; Whanganui: 3; Hutt Valley: 17; Capital & Coast: 46; Nelson Marlborough: 4; Canterbury: 18; Timaru: 2; Southern: 13.

  ·            Average age of current hospitalisations: 54

  ·            Cases in ICU or HDU: 16

  ·            Vaccination status of current hospitalisations (Northern Region only, excluding Emergency Departments): Unvaccinated or not eligible (109 cases / 19.89%); partially immunised <7 days from second dose or have only received one dose (16 cases / 2.92%); double vaccinated at least 7 days before being reported as a case (230 cases / 41.97%); Received booster at least 7 days before being reported as a case (175 cases / 31.93%); unknown (18 cases / 3.28%)

*While still early in the Omicron outbreak, the figures show that, based on the data available, just over 3% of eligible people aged 12 and over in the Northern Region have had no doses of the vaccine, however, of those aged 12 and over in Northland and Auckland hospitals with COVID-19 for whom we have vaccination status recorded, 17% have had no doses of the vaccine.   

Cases 

• Seven day rolling average of community cases: 19,741
• Number of new community cases: 21,015
• Number of new community cases (PCR): 660
• Number of new community cases (RAT): 20,355
• Location of new community cases (PCR & RAT): Northland (689), Auckland (7,234), Waikato (2,016), Bay of Plenty (1,392), Lakes (632), Hawke’s Bay (700), MidCentral (653), Whanganui (156), Taranaki (524), Tairāwhiti (353), Wairarapa (170), Capital and Coast (1,858), Hutt Valley (1,103), Nelson Marlborough (449), Canterbury (2,021), South Canterbury (109), Southern (918), West Coast (26); Unknown (12)
• Number of new cases identified at the border: 15
• Number of active community cases (total): 208,625 (cases identified in the past 10 days and not yet classified as recovered) 
• Confirmed cases (total): 306,919

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): 4,817
• PCR tests rolling average (last 7 days up to 03/03): 8,240
• Number of Rapid Antigen Tests dispatched (last 7 days): 14.3 million