Both Capital & Coast and Auckland DHBs are close to reaching 90% fully vaccinated for their eligible Māori populations.

For Auckland DHB, just 1,339 of the eligible population need a second dose to reach the 90% milestone, while in the Capital & Coast DHB region, an additional 1,480 vaccinations are needed to reach the mark.

Pacific people across 19 of our 20 DHBs are 90% partially vaccinated or higher – with Whanganui due to reach this milestone at any moment with just 57 doses to go. Pacific communities in eight of our DHBs are also now fully vaccinated.

Four of our smaller DHBs are also fast closing in on 90% fully vaccinated – with Wairarapa DHB needing just 157 more doses, South Canterbury 516 doses, MidCentral 778 doses, and Nelson-Marlborough 1,183 doses to hit the milestone.

Omicron close contacts update

Yesterday we reported New Zealand’s first case of the Omicron variant in a recent international arrival who tested positive in a day 0/1 test at a Christchurch managed isolation facility.

All of the passengers on the same ​international and domestic flights as the case are being treated as close contacts, and all are isolating in a managed isolation facility.

Two other passengers on the international flight have tested positive for COVID-19 and one further passenger’s positive result is being investigated as a historical infection. These three people have been moved to a managed quarantine facility. Whole genome sequencing has identified one of these infections as the Delta variant.

Whole genome sequencing for the other two is due later today.

All other passengers have returned negative day 0/1 and day 3 tests.

Urgent whole genome sequencing is being carried out on all positive test results in recent returnees to determine if they have the Omicron variant.

While the arrival of a new variant is concerning, New Zealand is well placed to manage Omicron cases with isolation and testing requirements for all new arrivals, robust infection and prevention control and PPE measures at airports and MIQ facilities, and frequent surveillance testing of staff who have any contact with recent returnees.

COVID-19 vaccine update

• Vaccines administered to date (percentage of eligible people): 3,959,739 first doses (94%); 3,783,760 second doses (90%); 23,498 third primary doses; 194,770 booster doses
• Vaccines administered yesterday: 2,434 first doses; 8,294 second doses; 726 third primary doses and 10,018 booster doses.
• Māori (percentage of eligible people): 494,570 first doses (87%); 438,099 second doses (77%)
• Pacific Peoples (percentage of eligible people): 267,805 first doses (93%); 250,690 second doses (87%)

Vaccination rates by DHB with active cases (percentage of eligible people)

• Northland DHB: First doses (88%); second doses (82%)
• Auckland Metro DHBs: First doses (95%); second doses (92%)
• Waikato DHB: First doses (93%); second doses (88%)
• Bay of Plenty DHB: First doses (93%); second doses (87%)
• Lakes DHB: First doses (91%); second doses (85%)
• Taranaki DHB: First doses (92%); second doses (87%)
• Hawke’s Bay DHB: First doses (94%); second doses (88%)
• Nelson-Marlborough DHB: First doses (94%); second doses (89%)
• Canterbury DHB: First doses (97%); second doses (94%)

Hospitalisations

• Cases in hospital: 51; North Shore: 7; Auckland: 26; Middlemore: 13; Waikato: 2; Tauranga: 2, Christchurch: 1
• Vaccination status of current hospitalisations (Northern Region wards only): Unvaccinated or not eligible (26 cases / 51%); partially immunised <7 days from second dose or have only received one dose (8 cases / 16%); fully vaccinated at least 7 days before being reported as a case (9 cases/ 18%); unknown (8 cases / 16%)
• Average age of current hospitalisations: 53
• Cases in ICU or HDU: 5 (1 in North Shore; 2 in Auckland; 2 in Middlemore)

Cases

• Seven day rolling average of community cases: 82
• Number of new community cases: 76
• Number of new cases identified at the border: 3
• Location of new community cases: Auckland (47), Waikato (15), Bay of Plenty (10), Lakes (1), Taranaki (3).
• Number of community cases (total): 10,129 (in current community outbreak)
• Cases epidemiologically linked (total): 7,457
• Number of active cases (total): 2,104 (cases identified in the past 21 days and not yet classed as recovered)
• Confirmed cases (total): 12,947

Contacts

• Number of active contacts being managed (total): 6,646
• Percentage who have received an outbound call from contact tracers (to confirm testing and isolation requirements): 83%
• Percentage who have returned at least one result: 78%

Tests

• Number of tests total (last 24 hours): 22,896
• Tests rolling average (last 7 days): 24,390
• Auckland tests total (last 24 hours): 8,352

Wastewater

The COVID-19 virus was detected in a wastewater sample taken in Napier on 15 December.

This could be due to recently recovered cases returning to the region who are shedding the virus, transient visitors, or it could signal undetected cases in the community.

There are no known COVID-19 cases self-isolating in Napier.

As a prudent measure, anyone in the Hawke’s Bay with COVID-19 symptoms – no matter how mild – is asked to please get tested, even if they are vaccinated. For testing centres available in the Hawke’s Bay today see the Healthpoint website.

NZ COVID Tracer

• Poster scans in 24 hours to midday yesterday: 3,211,437
• Manual diary entries in 24 hours to midday: 40,927

My Vaccine Pass

• My vaccine pass downloads total: 4,335,640
• My vaccine pass downloads (last 24 hours): 35,824