There are 91 new community cases, with the Ministry of Health declaring that Omicron is "now the dominant variant".
The ministry is therefore no longer providing a separate breakdown of the number of Omicron cases, with whole genome sequencing being focused on patterns of spread rather than individual cases.
The Prime Minister has returned a negative test result after going into isolation on Saturday night.
There's no post-Cabinet press conference on Monday as Cabinet will sit on Tuesday. Monday is Auckland Anniversary Day.
Jacinda Ardern will chair Cabinet remotely as she is required to continue isolating until Tuesday night or when advised otherwise by Public Health. As she can't be in the Beehive, deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson will hold Tuesday's post-Cab press conference.
What you need to know:
- There were 91 new community cases in New Zealand of any variant on Monday - Northland (1), Auckland (65), Waikato (17), Tairāwhiti (1), Lakes (3), Bay of Plenty (1), Hawke's Bay (2), and Wellington (1).
- There were 10 people in hospital: one in North Shore, three in Middlemore, one in Auckland City, three in Rotorua, one in Hawke's Bay and one in Waikato.
- The Prime Minister has returned a negative COVID-19 test result after going into isolation on Saturday night following potential exposure on a flight.
Newshub's live updates have now ended.
4:25pm - COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins is urging people not to "lose sight of the reason MIQ was set up" following the controversial decision to reject a pregnant journalist's request to come home.
"While MIQ has had to make some difficult choices, I don't want us to lose sight of the reason MIQ was set up in the first place," Hipkins said in a written statement on Monday.
"It has served New Zealand exceptionally well, saved lives and hospital admissions and kept our health system from being swamped, unlike the situation in many other countries."
4:05pm - Here are four new locations of interest:
- Kerikeri Mission Station - Sunday, January 23 between 10:57am and 11:07am
- Christchurch Airport Terminal - Wednesday, January 26 between 1:30pm and 2:45pm
- Fishbone Cafe Kerikeri - Sunday, January 23 between 8:40am and 9:40am
- Best Ugly Bagel Auckland Airport Domestic Terminal - Saturday, January 22 between 7:56am and 9:05am
3:45pm - Popular UK breakfast host Phillip Schofield is facing backlash from hundreds of Kiwis for misrepresenting Aotearoa's COVID-19 strategy on national television.
Schofield, who has UK and New Zealand citizenship, told more than a million British viewers on ITV's This Morning Show New Zealand is moving backwards.
"The rest of the world is moving forward, while it feels like New Zealand is moving backwards."
3pm - There are three new locations of interest:
- Kerikeri New World - Saturday, January 22 between 4:45pm and 6:05pm
- Connor Botany Town Centre, Auckland - Friday, January 28 between 12:15pm and 10pm
- Nelson Airport Terminal - Wednesday, January 26 between 3pm and 4:30pm
2:45pm - ACT leader David Seymour wants the Government to dump MIQ now after a pregnant Kiwi journalist was forced to seek refuge from the Taliban when her MIQ application was declined.
Seymour says Charlotte Bellis' story should be a turning point for the Government and he sees no justification for waiting another month.
"Bellis is far from the only case. The cruelty of MIQ has created many like hers. The absurdity of the Taliban being more humane than the New Zealand Government puts the policy in stark relief though," he says.
"The humane and rational response of the Government would be to dump MIQ now. It doesn't work, ties up valuable resources, and is unimaginably cruel."
However COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins says MIQ has made a "huge contribution to our COVID-19 response".
2:10pm - There are four new locations of interest:
- Health 2000 Nelson - Wednesday, January 26 between 4:12pm and 4:22pm
- Park and Rest Hunterville Toilet - Thursday, January 27 between 12:24pm and 1:35pm
- Sudima Christchurch City - Monday, January 24 at 8pm to Wednesday, January 26 at 1pm
- Nelson Airport Terminal - Friday, January 28 between 6:25am and 7:45am
2pm - A COVID-19 modeller is forecasting 200 community cases a day of the coronavirus by Wednesday and 400 daily cases by the end of the week.
Te Pūnaha Matatini modeller Dr Dion O'Neale said because Omicron was in the mix, this week would mark a shift from the previous relatively low case numbers.
"Almost every other place in the world that's had an Omicron outbreak's seen a doubling time of around three days. We'd expect New Zealand to be similar.
"So that means about 100 cases a day at the start of the week, around the middle of the week we're probably looking at around 200 cases a day, and then doubling to around 400-ish by the end of the week.
1:50pm - Hawke's Bay Medical Officer of Health Dr Nick Jones has a message for locals after two more cases were reported in the DHB on Monday:
"While for many Omicron will be a mild to moderate disease for others it will be much more severe and people need to think about who they might infect if they don’t do the right thing by isolating and getting tested if they were sick," Dr Jones said.
"Our public health team is working very hard as there are many people associated with these clusters and people need to continue to check for new locations of interest, which would be added as inquiries continued."
1:40pm - "There were also 13,376 booster doses administered yesterday, taking the total to date to 1,300,364. Also, 4,208 paediatric doses were given yesterday, bringing the total to 163,491.
"With Omicron in New Zealand, the best thing you can do is get your booster as soon as it is due. Evidence to date is that the rate of adverse reactions to a booster doses is similar to people receiving their second dose.
"Boosters lower your chances of getting very sick and being hospitalised. Being boosted also helps slow the spread of the virus. That’s why it’s important to get your booster four months after your second dose - so if you’re over 18 and your booster is due, please get it now."
1:35pm - The new cases are found in Northland (1), Auckland (65), Waikato (17), Tairāwhiti (1), Lakes (3), Bay of Plenty (1), Hawke's Bay (2), and Wellington (1).
The Ministry of Health says:
Today’s cases
We are reporting new community cases in Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Lakes, Bay of Plenty, Tairāwhiti, Hawke’s Bay, and Wellington.
In addition, due to the Ministry’s daily cut-off period for reporting, we are also announcing out-of-cycle cases for Tairāwhiti.
The Ministry’s IT team have investigated Auckland’s case numbers yesterday. A suspected issue was reconciled, and the numbers for Auckland for yesterday will remain at 56. There are not a further 40 cases to report today.
Northland
Today we are reporting one new case in Northland. The case is a household contact of a previously reported Omicron case.
Auckland
There are 65 cases to report in Auckland today.
Health and welfare providers are now supporting 1,025 people in the region to isolate at home, including 354 cases.
Waikato
There are 17 new cases in the Waikato today, with eight linked to previous cases and seven under investigation. Nine are reported for Hamilton, four in Morrinsville, one in Cambridge, one in Paeroa. Two remain under investigation.
There were 1090 tests processed in Waikato yesterday.
In the Waikato, Public Health, primary care and manaaki providers are supporting 54 cases to isolate at home.
Lakes
Three new cases are being reported in Rotorua today. These cases are all household contacts of previously reported Omicron cases.
Bay of Plenty
There is one new case being reported in Tauranga today. The case is a household contact of a previously reported Omicron case.
Tairāwhiti
There is one new case to report in Tairāwhiti today. The case is linked to an existing case and the Soundsplash music festival in Hamilton.
In addition, there are a further four cases being announced today, which will be officially added to the Ministry’s case numbers tomorrow. Three of these cases are also linked to existing cases and the Soundsplash music festival. A further case has investigations ongoing.
Hawke’s Bay
Two new cases are being reported in Hawke’s Bay today, both with links established to a previously reported Delta case.
Wellington
Today we are reporting one new case in Wellington.
The case is linked to an event in Auckland.
Case investigations are underway to identify exposure events that link to this case.
Continue to check for new locations of interest in the Wellington region on the Ministry of Health’s website.
In addition, whole genome sequencing has confirmed a case in the Hutt Valley reported yesterday is confirmed as having the Omicron variant.
With recent positive wastewater test results in Porirua treatment plant, we urge anyone who lives in Porirua and Wellington’s northern suburbs to get a test if they feel unwell with COVID-19 like symptoms.
1:30pm - The Ministry of Health reports there are 91 new community cases of COVID-19. No individual number of Omicron cases is provided.
"Whole genome sequencing continues to take place on all new unlinked cases of Covid-19 and provides additional information to aid public health decisions. The Omicron variant of Covid-19 is now the dominant variant, therefore the specific variant of the virus is no longer being reported alongside case numbers," the ministry says.
"As cases continue to increase, the priority for whole genome sequencing will be to highlight patterns of virus spread rather than individual cases."
COVID-19 vaccine update
- Vaccines administered to date (percentage of eligible people): 4,040,973 first doses (96%); 3,961,693 second doses (94%); 1,300,364 booster doses (67%)
- Vaccines administered yesterday: 401 first doses;710 second doses; 4,208 paediatric doses; 13,376 booster doses.
- Māori (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 512,183 first doses (90%); 485,202 second doses (85%).
- Pacific Peoples (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 277,145 first doses (97%); 269,050 second doses (94%).
- Paediatric vaccines administered to date (percentage of 5-11-year-olds): 163,495 first doses (34%)
- Māori (percentage of eligible people aged 5-11): 21,190 first doses (18%)
- Pacific Peoples (percentage of eligible people aged 5-11): 11,829 first doses (24%)
Vaccination rates for all DHBs (percentage of eligible people aged 12 +)
- Northland DHB: First doses (90%); second doses (87%)
- Auckland Metro DHBs: First doses (97%); second doses (95%)
- Waikato DHB: First doses (95%); second doses (92%)
- 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 (94%)
- West Coast DHB: First doses (93%); second doses (90%)
- Canterbury DHB: First doses (99%); second doses (97%)
- South Canterbury DHB: First doses (95%); second doses (93%)
- Southern DHB: First doses (97%); second doses (96%)
Hospitalisations
- Cases in hospital: 10; North Shore: 1; Middlemore: 3; Auckland: 1; Rotorua: 3, Waikato 1, Hawke’s Bay 1
- Average age of current hospitalisations: 54
- Cases in ICU or HDU: 0
- Vaccination status of current hospitalisations (Northern Region wards only): Unvaccinated or not eligible (N/A cases / 0%); partially immunised <7 days from second dose or have only received one dose (1 case / 20%); fully vaccinated at least 7 days before being reported as a case (4 cases / 80%)
Cases
- Seven day rolling average of community cases: 69
- Seven day rolling average of border cases: 40
- Number of new community cases: 91
- Number of new cases identified at the border: 39
- Location of new community cases: Northland (1), Auckland (65), Waikato (17), Tairāwhiti (1), Lakes (3), Bay of Plenty (1), Hawke’s Bay (2), Wellington (1)
- Number of community cases (total): 12,005 (in current community outbreaks)
- Cases epidemiologically linked (total): 9,085
- Number of active cases (total): 771 (cases identified in the past 21 days and not yet classified as recovered)
- Confirmed cases (total): 16,039
Contacts
- Number of active contacts being managed (total): 8,647
- Percentage who has received an outbound call from contact tracers (to confirm testing and isolation requirements): 74%
- Percentage who has returned at least one result: 68%
Tests
- Number of tests total (last 24 hours):13,281
- Tests rolling average (last 7 days): 19,931
- Auckland tests total (last 24 hours): 6,104
Wastewater
No unusual detections to report.
NZ COVID Tracer
- Poster scans in the 24 hours to midday yesterday: 2,214,563
- Manual diary entries in the 24 hours to midday: 43,732
My Vaccine Pass
- My vaccine pass downloads total: 4,989,762
- My vaccine pass downloads (last 24 hours): 7,367
1:20pm - We are waiting on the 1pm update.
1:05pm - There are two new locations of interest:
- McDonald's Gisborne - Tuesday, January 25 between 6:50pm and 8:45pm
- The Coffee Shop, Freemans Bay - Wednesday, January 26 between 6:30am and 7:30am
12:55pm - A school in the Auckland suburb of Wattle Downs has had to postpone reopening until next week as all teaching staff are isolating.
In a letter to parents, Reremoana School board chairperson Ianthe Jones said the return to school was "not going to be as smooth as we had all anticipated".
Jones said all teaching staff were close contacts of a positive COVID-19 case following a staff training day on Thursday. They are all being tested and are isolating until next Sunday.
The school will therefore not reopen until Tuesday, February 8, after Waitangi weekend.
"We know this is frustrating for our parents and disappointing for our students. Our staff feel the same frustration and disappointment."
12:40pm - The latest COVID-19 update is incoming. It should be here sometime shortly after 1pm. We will hopefully get a new update on the number of Omicron cases in New Zealand.
12:25pm - There have been a number of new locations of interest identified on Monday, including:
- Sea Life Kelly Tarlton's Orakei, Auckland - Tuesday, January 25 between 11:09am and 1pm
- Palmerston North Intercity Bus Terminal - Friday, January 28 between 4pm and 4:15pm
- Papatoetoe Centennial Pool and Leisure Centre - Monday, January 24 between 10am and 12pm
12:20pm - The Prime Minister has returned a negative COVID-19 test result.
Here's the full statement from a spokesperson:
"The Prime Minister has returned a negative COVID-19 test. In line with Ministry of Health guidance she is required to continue isolating until the end of Tuesday, February 1, or as otherwise advised by Public Health.
"She will Chair tomorrow’s Cabinet meeting remotely.
"As the Prime Minister is not be able to be in the Beehive in person tomorrow, the Deputy Prime Minister will attend post-cab on her behalf."
