Today we are reporting 13,636 community cases (7,763 on Friday and 5,748 today), and 30 deaths (20 on Friday and 10 today) over the past two days since our last COVID-19 update on Thursday. There are 500 people in hospital today. There were 502 people in hospital yesterday.

The seven-day rolling average of case numbers continues to decline, with today's seven-day rolling average at 8,283 – last Saturday it was 10,843.

The number of reported community cases is expected to continue to fluctuate day to day, but the overall trend remains an overall reduction in reported cases.

Please note that because of the Easter public holidays, some of our usual reported breakdowns are unavailable. Apologies for any inconvenience.

COVID-19 deaths

Today we are sadly reporting the deaths of 30 people with COVID-19 for today and yesterday. These deaths take the total number of publicly reported deaths with COVID-19 to 576 and the seven-day rolling average of reported deaths is 14.

Age and location breakdowns of the people who have died over the past two days are unavailable today.

This is a very sad time for whānau and friends and our thoughts are with them.

Easter weekend reminder

We are reminding you that if you are going away this Easter weekend, you should have plans in place in the event you contract COVID-19 or are identified as a household contact of a case.

You would need to self-isolate and likely remain wherever you test positive or become a household contact, so there may be extra costs involved in paying for additional accommodation and changing your travel plans.

If you have used your own vehicle to travel, you can travel back to your home to isolate, taking public health measures to ensure you don’t infect anyone on your way home – such as maintaining social distance and using self-service petrol stations.

However, if you have used public transport or travelled between islands, you won’t be able to isolate at your home. So it is important you have a plan and the ability to isolate where you are holidaying, if you need to do so.

There are three actions everyone can do to help protect themselves and others this Easter weekend.

Firstly – be up to date with vaccinations, including a booster if you’ve not yet had one. If you are planning to be away this long weekend, get boosted before you go.

Secondly – wear a mask. Masks are still required in many indoor settings. A good rule of thumb is to wear a mask in indoor public settings as we know that mask use halves the risk of spread of COVID-19. You must also wear a face mask on all flights and public transport, in taxi and ride-share services — unless you are exempt.

And thirdly – stay home and avoid others if you’re unwell, isolating or waiting for the results of a COVID-19 test.

For guidance if you or someone you know tests positive or becomes a household contact, visit the Ministry of Health website.

For more information on mask use at Orange, visit the Unite Against COVID-19 website.

Vaccinations administered in New Zealand for 16 April only

• Vaccines administered to date: 4,026,166 first doses; 3,976,694 second doses; 31,682 third primary doses; 2,612,298 booster doses: 260,442 paediatric first doses and 104,199 paediatric second doses 
• Vaccines administered yesterday: 5 first doses; 12 second doses; 2 third primary doses; 71 booster doses; 5 paediatric first doses and 51 paediatric second doses 

People vaccinated  

• All Ethnicities (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 4,056,029 first dose (96.4%); 4,005,949 second dose (95.2%), 2,609,339 boosted (71.5% of those eligible) 
• Māori (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 520,795 first dose (91.2%); 503,720 second dose (88.2%), 232,652 boosted (55.8% of those eligible) 
• Pacific Peoples (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 281,752 first dose (98.3%); 276,796 second dose (96.6%), 138,621 boosted (57.7% of those eligible) 
• 5 to 11-year-olds all ethnicities: 258,008 first dose (54.2%); 101,829 second dose (21.4%) 
• 5 to 11-year-olds - Māori: 40,641 first dose (35.2%); 11,624 second dose (10.1%) 
• 5 to 11-year-olds - Pacific Peoples: 23,390 first dose (47.4%); 5,605 second dose (11.3%) 

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 (90.1%); second dose (88%); boosted (68.3%) 
• Auckland Metro DHB: first dose (97.2%); second dose (96.2%); boosted (70.1%) 
• Waikato DHB: first dose (95.1%); second dose (93.6%); boosted (67.1%) 
• Bay of Plenty DHB: first dose (95.1%); second dose (93.4%); boosted (66.7%) 
• Lakes DHB: first dose (93.2%); second dose (91.4%); boosted (67.1%) 
• MidCentral DHB: first dose (96.4%); second dose (95.2%); boosted (72.8%) 
• Tairāwhiti DHB: first dose (93.2%); second dose (91%); boosted (66.5%) 
• Whanganui DHB: first dose (91.9%); second dose (90.4%); boosted (72.1%) 
• Hawke’s Bay DHB: first dose (97.1%); second dose (95.5%); boosted (70.5%) 
• Taranaki DHB: first dose (94.6%); second dose (93.2%); boosted (68.7%) 
• Wairarapa DHB: first dose (96.5%); second dose (95%); boosted (73.5%) 
• Capital & Coast DHB: first dose (98.5%); second dose (97.8%); boosted (79.8%) 
• Hutt Valley DHB: first dose (96.6%); second dose (95.7%); boosted (75.5%) 
• Nelson Marlborough DHB: first dose (96.4%); second dose (95.2%); boosted (74%) 
• West Coast DHB: first dose (92.7%); second dose (91.2%); boosted (72.3%) 
• Canterbury DHB: first dose (99.7%); second dose (98.8%); boosted (75%) 
• South Canterbury DHB: first dose (94.8%); second dose (93.8%); boosted (75.1%) 
• Southern DHB: first dose (98.5%); second dose (97.4%); boosted (73.7%)

*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

Percentages are based on 2020 HSU data - a health-specific population denominator. As the population continues to change over time, coverage rates can exceed 100%.

Hospitalisations

• Cases in hospital for today: total number 500: All Northern Region DHBs including Northland, Waitemata, Auckland and Counties Manukau: 264; Waikato: 28; Bay of Plenty: 17; Lakes: 8; Tairāwhiti: 1; Hawke’s Bay: 11; Taranaki: 12; Whanganui: 4; MidCentral: 19; Wairarapa: 2; Hutt Valley: 27; Capital and Coast: 13; Nelson Marlborough: 10; Canterbury: 53; South Canterbury: 5; West Coast: 0; Southern: 26
• *Average age of current hospitalisations: 58
• Cases in ICU or HDU: 15
• Vaccination status of current hospitalisations (Northern Region only, excluding Emergency Departments): unavailable today

Please note the average age of current hospitalisations is for the Northern Region admissions only at this stage. This data is recorded and extracted from the same source as the vaccination status of patients in Northern Region hospitals.

We are currently working on a data solution which would include the average age of current hospitalisations from additional DHBs.

Cases 

• Seven day rolling average of community cases: 8,283
• Seven day rolling average (as at same day last week): 10,843
• Number of new community cases over past two days: 13,636
• Number of new community cases (PCR): 275 Friday and 165 today – for a two-day total of 440
• Number of new community cases (RAT): 7,488 Friday and 5,583 today for a two-day total of 13,071

• Location of new community cases (PCR & RAT over two days combined): Northland (638), Auckland (2,793) *오클랜드의 감염자 수는 애초에 869명이라고 보고되었으나, 추후 2,793명으로 수정되었음 , Waikato (1,079), Bay of Plenty (532), Lakes (266), Hawke’s Bay (460), MidCentral (556), Whanganui (244), Taranaki (429), Tairāwhiti (120), Wairarapa (121), Capital and Coast (822), Hutt Valley (522) Nelson Marlborough (451), Canterbury (2,255), South Canterbury (325), Southern (1,747), West Coast (137), Unknown (14)

• Number of new cases identified at the border in past two days: 125
• Number of active community cases today (total): 57,951 (cases identified in the past 7 days and not yet classified as recovered) 
• Confirmed cases (total): 818,882

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): 1,736
• Number of Rapid Antigen Tests reported total (last 24 hours): 9,171
• PCR tests rolling average (last 7 days): 2,452
• Number of Rapid Antigen Tests dispatched (last 7 days as of 14 April 2022): 3.2 million