Coronavirus: Latest on COVID-19 community outbreak - Monday, April 11

The Ministry of Healthy has released the latest COVID-19 figures, showing cases have jumped to more than 7500.

What you need to know:

  • New Zealand recorded 7592 new community COVID cases on Monday.
  • Eleven additional deaths of people with COVID-19 were reported.
  • Location of Monday's community cases: Northland (312), Auckland (1,378), Waikato (667), Bay of Plenty (309), Lakes (150), Hawke’s Bay (284), MidCentral (350), Whanganui (138), Taranaki (248), Tairāwhiti (69), Wairarapa (89), Capital and Coast (549), Hutt Valley (332), Nelson Marlborough (270), Canterbury (1,286), South Canterbury (153), Southern (937), West Coast (68), Unknown (3)
  • There are 640 people in hospitals on Sunday, including 23 in ICU.
  • Locations of hospitalisations: Northland: 24; Waitemata: 102; Counties Manukau: 111; Auckland: 102; Waikato: 63; Bay of Plenty: 35; Lakes: 6; Tairāwhiti: 3; Hawke’s Bay: 19; Taranaki: 11; Whanganui: 11; MidCentral: 23; Wairarapa: 3; Hutt Valley: 16; Capital and Coast: 16; Nelson Marlborough: 13; Canterbury: 46; South Canterbury: 6; West Coast: 1; Southern: 29

These live updates have now finished.

1:15pm - This is the full Ministry of Health data:

Vaccinations administered in New Zealand  

  • Vaccines administered to date: 4,025,932 first doses; 3,976,023 second doses; 34,567 third primary doses; 2,601,940 booster doses: 260,147 paediatric first doses and 100,609 paediatric second doses  
  • Vaccines administered yesterday: 17 first doses; 85 second doses; 1 third primary doses; 860 booster doses; 44 paediatric first doses and 842 paediatric second doses  

People vaccinated  

  • All Ethnicities (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 4,055,815 first dose (96.4%); 4,005,306 second dose (95.2%), 2,599,366 boosted (72.7% of those eligible)  
  • Māori (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 520,647 first dose (91.2%); 503,485 second dose (88.2%), 231,430 boosted (57.2% of those eligible)  
  • Pacific Peoples (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 281,686 first dose (98.3%); 276,705 second dose (96.5%), 138,003 boosted (59.2% of those eligible)  
  • 5 to 11-year-olds all ethnicities: 257,813 first dose (54.1%); 98,343 second dose (20.6%)  
  • 5 to 11-year-olds - Māori: 40,614 first dose (35.1%); 11,175 second dose (9.7%)  
  • 5 to 11-year-olds - Pacific Peoples: 23,375 first dose (47.3%); 5,426 second dose (11%)  

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 (69.4%)  
  • Auckland Metro DHB: first dose (97.2%); second dose (96.2%); boosted (71.4%)  
  • Waikato DHB: first dose (95.1%); second dose (93.6%); boosted (68.3%)  
  • Bay of Plenty DHB: first dose (95.1%); second dose (93.4%); boosted (67.6%)  
  • Lakes DHB: first dose (93.2%); second dose (91.4%); boosted (68.1%)  
  • MidCentral DHB: first dose (96.4%); second dose (95.2%); boosted (74%)  
  • Tairāwhiti DHB: first dose (93.2%); second dose (90.9%); boosted (68%)  
  • Whanganui DHB: first dose (91.9%); second dose (90.4%); boosted (73.2%)  
  • Hawke’s Bay DHB: first dose (97.1%); second dose (95.5%); boosted (71.8%)  
  • Taranaki DHB: first dose (94.6%); second dose (93.2%); boosted (69.8%)  
  • Wairarapa DHB: first dose (96.4%); second dose (95%); boosted (74.5%)  
  • Capital & Coast DHB: first dose (98.5%); second dose (97.8%); boosted (81.1%)  
  • Hutt Valley DHB: first dose (96.6%); second dose (95.6%); boosted (76.8%)  
  • Nelson Marlborough DHB: first dose (96.4%); second dose (95.2%); boosted (75.1%)  
  • West Coast DHB: first dose (92.7%); second dose (91.2%); boosted (73.1%)  
  • Canterbury DHB: first dose (99.7%); second dose (98.8%); boosted (75.9%)  
  • South Canterbury DHB: first dose (94.8%); second dose (93.8%); boosted (76.3%)  
  • Southern DHB: first dose (98.5%); second dose (97.4%); boosted (74.8%)

*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: total number 640: Northland: 24; Waitemata: 102; Counties Manukau: 111; Auckland: 102; Waikato: 63; Bay of Plenty: 35; Lakes: 6; Tairāwhiti: 3; Hawke’s Bay: 19; Taranaki: 11; Whanganui: 11; MidCentral: 23; Wairarapa: 3; Hutt Valley: 16; Capital and Coast: 16; Nelson Marlborough: 13; Canterbury: 46; South Canterbury: 6; West Coast: 1; Southern: 29
  • *Average age of current hospitalisations: 59
  • Cases in ICU or HDU: 23
  • Vaccination status of current hospitalisations (Northern Region only, excluding Emergency Departments): Unvaccinated or not eligible (34 cases / 10%); partially immunised <7 days from second dose or have only received one dose (8 cases / 2%); double vaccinated at least 7 days before being reported as a case (54 cases / 16%); Received booster at least 7 days before being reported as a case (72 cases / 22%); unknown (165 cases / 50%)

*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: 10,169
  • Seven day rolling average (as at same day last week): 13,218
  • Number of new community cases: 7,592
  • Number of new community cases (PCR): 129
  • Number of new community cases (RAT): 7,463
  • Location of new community cases (PCR & RAT): Northland (312), Auckland (1,378), Waikato (667), Bay of Plenty (309), Lakes (150), Hawke’s Bay (284), MidCentral (350), Whanganui (138), Taranaki (248), Tairāwhiti (69), Wairarapa (89), Capital and Coast (549), Hutt Valley (332), Nelson Marlborough (270), Canterbury (1,286), South Canterbury (153), Southern (937), West Coast (68), Unknown (3)
  • Number of new cases identified at the border: 39
  • Number of active community cases (total): 71,167 cases identified in the past 7 days and not yet classified as recovered) 
  • Confirmed cases (total): 773,227

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): 999
  • Number of Rapid Antigen Tests reported total (last 24 hours): 14,342
  • PCR tests rolling average (last 7 days): 3,534
  • Number of Rapid Antigen Tests dispatched (last 7 days as of 8 April 2022): 3.7 million

1:10pm - Here is what the ministry said about the deaths: 

"Today we are sadly reporting the deaths of 11 people with COVID-19. The deaths being reported today include 10 people who have died in the past three days and one person who died 12 days ago. Delays to reporting can be associated with people dying with COVID-19, rather than from COVID-19, and COVID-19 being discovered only after they have died.  

"These deaths take the total number of publicly reported deaths with COVID-19 to 500 and the seven-day rolling average of reported deaths is 14.

"Of the people whose deaths we are reporting today, three people were from the Auckland region, three from Waikato, one from Hawke’s Bay, one from Taranaki, one from the Wellington region, and two from Canterbury.

"Two were aged in their 60s, three in their 70s, three in their 80s, and three over 90.

"Five were female and six were male.

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

"Out of respect, we will be making no further comment." 

1:05pm - The Ministry of Health says there are 7592 new community cases, 640 hospitalisations (23 in ICU) and 11 further deaths.

"The seven-day rolling average of case numbers continues to decline, with today's seven-day rolling average at 10,169 – last Monday it was 13,218.

"The number of reported community cases is expected to continue to fluctuate day to day, and is usually lower over the weekend with less reporting of results and testing.

"While overall the number of community cases is trending downwards, please continue to follow public health advice to stay at home, away from school or work if you are feeling unwell and, when not at home, use a mask in indoor settings to protect yourself and others.

"Vaccination remains our best defence against COVID-19 and a booster, in addition to first and second doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, will give you greater immunity against Omicron and severe illness. There is a much lower risk of being hospitalised if you are up to date with your vaccinations, which, for Omicron, includes a third or booster dose if eligible. 

"If you or your whānau are due for a COVID-19 vaccination, please make an appointment today."

12:55pm - Lu, 99, was a long-time resident at Shanghai's Donghai Elderly Care hospital, her loved ones secure that she was getting round-the-clock care at the city's largest such centre.

That was before COVID-19 struck China's biggest city last month, the country's worst outbreak since the virus emerged in Wuhan in late 2019, infecting multiple patients, doctors and care workers at the 1,800-bed facility.

Orderlies posted cries for help on social media, saying they were overwhelmed. Relatives told Reuters that there had been several deaths.

Lu, whose relatives asked that she be identified only by her surname, had coronary heart disease and high blood pressure. She caught COVID and, though she had no symptoms, was being transferred to an isolation facility, her family was told on March 25.

Read more here

12:45pm - Here's the Ministry of Health's COVID situation report including Sunday's figures:

Coronavirus: Latest on COVID-19 community outbreak - Monday, April 11

12:35pm - A new hybrid COVID-19 variant dubbed XE has sparked fresh concerns recently.

XE is a combination of the highly transmissible BA.1 and BA.2 Omicron variants and was first detected in the UK in mid-January. Its spike protein derives from BA.2, which is potentially good news for New Zealand since this is the dominant variant (more than 90% of recent infections) and people who have been infected should have some protection against XE.

Globally, around 700 viral genomes have been assigned XE so far. The variant has mainly been detected in the UK and now in a handful of cases elsewhere, including Thailand and US, most likely due to travel-related spread.

So how worried should we be? Read more here. 

12:30pm - Welcome to Newshub's live updates for Monday. We are awaiting the Ministry of Health's 1pm update. There is no press conference planned for 1pm.

The Prime Minister will hold her weekly post-Cabinet press conference at 4pm. But don't expect any announcement about whether the traffic light setting will change. That will come later in the week. New Zealand remains at red.