There were 36,230 booster doses administered yesterday, taking the total to date to 1,399,350. Also, 5,725 paediatric doses were given yesterday, bringing the total to 183,706.

With Omicron in New Zealand, one of the best things you can do is get your booster as soon as it is due – and from tomorrow more than 1 million people will be eligible for their booster after the interval was reduced from four to three months.

Boosters lower your chances of getting very sick and being hospitalised. Being boosted also helps slow the spread of the virus. If you’re over 18 and your booster is due, please get it now.

The Waikato region will today reach 90% partial vaccination (first dose) for Māori. As of midnight, Waikato was only 25 first doses off becoming the 11th DHB area to achieve this vaccine milestone.

Waitangi weekend reminder
If you are going away this Waitangi weekend, please have plans in place in the event you are identified as a close contact, get COVID-19 symptoms, or find out you have COVID-19.

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

There are limited alternative accommodation options for those who are unable to safely isolate in their own homes or if they have travelled elsewhere, and as case numbers rise, the accommodation will be focused on those with high needs.

Travel can also contribute to the spread of COVID-19, so it is also important people going on holiday this weekend take measures to reduce the risk of both catching and spreading the virus.

Anyone with any COVID-19 symptoms should not travel – they should get a test and isolate at home until a negative result is returned.

The most common early symptoms of the Omicron variant are a sore or scratchy throat, and a runny nose. If you have any of these symptoms, please get a test.

All travellers should wear a mask in indoor settings, physical distance, and scan in using the NZ COVID Tracer app.

COVID-19 vaccine update
Vaccines administered to date (percentage of eligible people): 4,044,518 first doses (96%); 3,967,611 second doses (94%); 1,399,350 booster doses (70%)
Vaccines administered yesterday: 1,113 first doses; 2,030 second doses; 5,725 paediatric doses; 36,230 booster doses.
Māori (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 513,411 first doses (89.9%); 487,275 second doses (85%).
Pacific Peoples (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 277,681 first doses (97%); 269,841 second doses (94%).
Paediatric vaccines administered to date (percentage of 5-11-year-olds): 183,706 first doses (39%)
Māori (percentage of eligible people aged 5-11): 24,544 first doses (21%)
Pacific Peoples (percentage of eligible people aged 5-11): 13,894 first doses (28%)

Vaccination rates for all DHBs (percentage of eligible people aged 12 +)
Northland DHB: First doses (89.8%); second doses (87%)
Auckland Metro DHBs: First doses (97%); second doses (96%)
Waikato DHB: First doses (95%); second doses (93%)
Bay of Plenty DHB: First doses (95%); second doses (92%)
Lakes DHB: First doses (93%); second doses (90%)
MidCentral DHB: First doses (96%); second doses (94%)
Tairawhiti DHB: First doses (93%); second doses (89%)
Whanganui DHB: First doses (92%); second doses (89%)
Hawke’s Bay: First doses (96%); second doses (94%)
Taranaki DHB: First doses (94%); second doses (92%)
Wairarapa DHB: First doses (96%); second doses (94%)
Capital and Coast DHB: First doses (98%); second doses (97%)
Hutt Valley DHB: First doses (97%); second doses (95%)
Nelson Marlborough DHB: First doses (96%); second doses (95%)
West Coast DHB: First doses (93%); second doses (90%)
Canterbury DHB: First doses (99%); second doses (98%)
South Canterbury DHB: First doses (95%); second doses (93%)
Southern DHB: First doses (98%); second doses (96%)

Hospitalisations
Cases in hospital: 13; North Shore: 1; Middlemore: 5; Auckland: 2; Rotorua: 3; Hawkes Bay: 1, Wellington: 1
Average age of current hospitalisations: 56
Cases in ICU or HDU: 0
Vaccination status of current hospitalisations (Northern Region wards only): Unvaccinated or not eligible (1 case / 20%); partially immunised <7 days from second dose or have only received one dose (N/A cases / 0%); fully vaccinated at least 7 days before being reported as a case (4 cases / 80%); unknown (N/A case / 0%).

Cases
Seven day rolling average of community cases: 113
Seven day rolling average of border cases: 47
Number of new community cases: 147
Number of new cases identified at the border: 44
Location of new community cases: Northland (14), Auckland (90), Waikato (15), Lakes (9), Bay of Plenty (8), Hawke’s Bay (7), Capital and Coast (4)
Number of community cases (total): 12,421 (in current community outbreaks)
Cases epidemiologically linked (total): 9,297
Number of active cases (total): 1,121 (cases identified in the past 21 days and not yet classified as recovered)
Confirmed cases (total): 16,630
Contacts
Number of active contacts being managed (total): 5,506
Percentage who has received an outbound call from contact tracers (to confirm testing and isolation requirements): 77%
Percentage who has returned at least one result: 75%
Tests
Number of tests total (last 24 hours): 24,909
Tests rolling average (last 7 days): 19,880
Auckland tests total (last 24 hours): 12,324
Wastewater
No unusual detections to report.
NZ COVID Tracer
Poster scans in the 24 hours to midday yesterday: 2,457,459
Manual diary entries in the 24 hours to midday:  50,204
My Vaccine Pass
Due to a technical error, these latest figures are currently unavailable, though the Ministry’s IT team is actively working to resolve the issue.

NZ COVID Tracer
On 2 February, poster scans in the 24 hours to midday: 2,318,267
On 2 February, manual diary entries in the 24 hours to midday:  50,627

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

Northland
Today we are reporting 14 new cases in Northland, across Kerikeri, Kaitaia, and Whangārei.

Of these cases, nine are linked to existing cases and investigations are underway to determine links for two cases.

The three remaining cases reside in Northland, though were originally allocated as Auckland cases, and are being transferred for management to the Northland public health unit. Of these cases, two are linked and one is yet to be connected to the outbreak.

Auckland
There are 90 cases to report in Auckland today.

Health and welfare providers are now supporting 1,534 people in the region to isolate at home, including 568 cases.

Waikato
Today there are 15 cases to report in the Waikato.

Case investigations so far have determined most of these cases are linked to previously reported cases.

Lakes
We are reporting nine new cases in the Lakes district today, with eight linked to existing cases and one yet to be connected to the outbreak with investigations underway.

Eight of today’s cases are in the Rotorua district and one is in the Taupo district.

Bay of Plenty
There are eight cases to report in the Bay of Plenty today, with seven linked to existing cases and one yet to connected to the outbreak.

Of these eight cases, five are in Tauranga, one is in the Western Bay of Plenty, and two are in the Eastern Bay of Plenty.

Hawke’s Bay
Today we are reporting seven new cases in Hawkes Bay.

Of these cases, five are linked to existing cases and, at this stage, the remaining two are yet to be connected to the outbreak with investigations underway.

Wellington region
There are four new cases to report in the Wellington region today, with three linked to existing cases and the fourth with links yet to be established.

Of these four cases, two are in Wellington and two are in Porirua.