The Ministry of Health has revealed 7050 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday.
Twenty-four people people have died with COVID-19, taking New Zealand's total virus death toll to 1267, the ministry said. There are currently 361 COVID-19 cases in hospital, with 14 in ICU.
New Zealand's seven-day rolling average of community case numbers on Wednesday was 6035 - last Wednesday it was 6893.
Providing an update on New Zealand's COVID-19 response on Wednesday, ministry chief science advisor Ian Town told reporters that NZ, similarly to the rest of the world, was experiencing new infection waves.
"The Director-General [of Health] has assessed the current orange setting as being appropriate for this stage of the outbreak," Dr Town said.
"Although we have experienced quite a peak of cases earlier this year, case numbers remain relatively high and these factors continue to inform our decision making and our levels of protection through those [traffic light] settings.
"There is a small chance that, in the future, a more aggressive variant may be found in New Zealand but, in general, we've seen that emergence overseas."
What you need to know:
- All of New Zealand is at orange in the COVID Protection Framework.
- New Zealand recorded 7050 new community cases of COVID-19 for Wednesday.
- Twenty four additional deaths of people with COVID-19 were reported.
- There are 361 people in hospital, 14 of whom are in ICU.
- Location of new community cases (PCR & RAT): Northland (209), Auckland (1,962), Waikato (508), Bay of Plenty (271), Lakes (116), Hawke’s Bay (201), MidCentral (314), Whanganui (106), Taranaki (204), Tairāwhiti (30), Wairarapa (64), Capital and Coast (620), Hutt Valley (325), Nelson Marlborough (280), Canterbury (1,075), South Canterbury (93), Southern (587), West Coast (82), Unknown (3).
- Cases in hospital - Northland: 4; Waitemata: 43; Counties Manukau: 34; Auckland: 70; Waikato: 30; Bay of Plenty: 9; Lakes: 4; Tairāwhiti: 1; Hawke’s Bay: 9; Taranaki: 9; Whanganui: 2; MidCentral: 14; Wairarapa: 3; Hutt Valley: 15; Capital and Coast: 19; Nelson Marlborough: 7; Canterbury: 49; South Canterbury: 4; West Coast: 2; Southern: 33.
This article is no longer being updated.
1:55pm - Dr Town says Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield has made a "remarkable recovery" after testing positive for COVID-19 overseas.
1:49pm - New Zealand is no longer in the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic and case numbers are steadily plateauing, Dr Town says.
1:47pm - Dr Town says mask-wearing remains key and appropriate to combat COVID-19 transmission.
1:45pm - "COVID is not going away," Dr Town concludes.
He says there's already increased pressure on the health system with the arrival of winter, which could worsen as the months go on.
"Vaccination remains at the heart of our protective framework," Dr Town says.
"The influenza vaccine is now also widely available."
1:41pm - Also speaking at the press conference is ministry lead science advisor Fiona Callaghan. Dr Callaghan says the ministry is continuing to use a variety of tools to monitor COVID-19 prevalence and for new variants, including wastewater testing.
1:36pm - Ministry chief testing advisor Kirsten Beynon is now speaking about surveillance measures and the monitoring of potential new COVID-19 variants arriving in New Zealand.
Beynon says any new arrivals into the country who test positive for COVID-19 via a rapid test are followed up for a PCR, in order to help identify new variants.
1:35pm - High COVID-19 vaccination rates put New Zealand in place for the winter months ahead, Dr Town says.
1:32pm - Dr Town is speaking now. He's highlighted the current orange traffic light setting as being "appropriate" for the current COVID-19 situation.
COVID-19 cases remain "relatively high", Dr Town said.
1:28pm - Ministry of Health chief science advisor Ian Town is about to provide a media briefing on New Zealand's COVID-19 response.
You can watch Dr Town's press conference in the video above.
1:14pm - Here is the latest data from the Ministry of Health on the outbreak and vaccination campaign:
Vaccinations administered in New Zealand
- Vaccines administered to date: 4,027,781 first doses; 3,979,839 second doses; 32,480 third primary doses; 2,663,992 booster doses: 263,265 paediatric first doses and 126,282 paediatric second doses
- Vaccines administered yesterday: 32 first doses; 47 second doses; 33 third primary doses; 955 booster doses; 52 paediatric first doses and 274 paediatric second doses
People vaccinated
- All ethnicities (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 4,054,046 first dose (96.3%); 4,005,396 second dose (95.2%), 2,643,934 boosted (of the 18+ population) (72.7% of those eligible)
- Māori (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 521,363 first dose (91.3%); 504,606 second dose (88.4%), 237,701 boosted (of the 18+ population) (55.8% of those eligible)
- Pacific Peoples (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 282,117 first dose (98.4%); 277,331 second dose (96.7%), 142,446 boosted (of the 18+ population) (59.3% of those eligible)
- 16 to 17 year old booster uptake (all ethnicities): 11,347 boosted (11.9% of those eligible)
- 16 to 17 year old booster uptake (Māori): 1,050 boosted (5.9% of those eligible)
- 16 to 17 year old booster uptake (Pacific Peoples): 599 boosted (6.2% of those eligible)
- 5 to 11-year-olds all ethnicities: 260,078 first dose (54.6%); 123,117 second dose (25.8%)
- 5 to 11-year-olds - Māori: 41,050 first dose (35.5%); 14,361 second dose (12.4%)
- 5 to 11-year-olds - Pacific Peoples: 23,702 first dose (48%); 7,603 second dose (15.4%).
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%); second dose (88%); boosted (68.9%)
- Auckland DHB: first dose (99.1%); second dose (98.1%); boosted (75.1%)
- Counties Manukau DHB: first dose (96.2%); second dose (95%); boosted (68.2%)
- Waitemata DHB: first dose (96.5%); second dose (95.6%); boosted (73.1%)
- Waikato DHB: first dose (95%); second dose (93.6%); boosted (68.1%)
- Bay of Plenty DHB: first dose (95.1%); second dose (93.4%); boosted (67%)
- Lakes DHB: first dose (92.9%); second dose (91.2%); boosted (67.3%)
- MidCentral DHB: first dose (96.3%); second dose (95.1%); boosted (73.5%)
- Tairāwhiti DHB: first dose (92.8%); second dose (90.6%); boosted (67.2%)
- Whanganui DHB: first dose (91.8%); second dose (90.3%); boosted (72.6%)
- Hawke’s Bay DHB: first dose (97.3%); second dose (95.7%); boosted (70.9%)
- Taranaki DHB: first dose (94.6%); second dose (93.2%); boosted (69.3%)
- Wairarapa DHB: first dose (96.4%); second dose (94.9%); boosted (74.2%)
- Capital & Coast DHB: first dose (98.4%); second dose (97.8%); boosted (81.1%)
- Hutt Valley DHB: first dose (96.5%); second dose (95.6%); boosted (76.4%)
- Nelson Marlborough DHB: first dose (96.4%); second dose (95.2%); boosted (74.7%)
- West Coast DHB: first dose (92.6%); second dose (91.2%); boosted (72.4%)
- Canterbury DHB: first dose (99.8%); second dose (98.9%); boosted (75.8%)
- South Canterbury DHB: first dose (94.5%); second dose (93.5%); boosted (75.5%)
- Southern DHB: first dose (98.5%); second dose (97.5%); boosted (74.7%)
*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 or 16 and 17 year olds who have become eligible 6 months after having their second dose.
Hospitalisations
- Cases in hospital: total number 361: Northland: 4; Waitemata: 43; Counties Manukau: 34; Auckland: 70; Waikato: 30; Bay of Plenty: 9; Lakes: 4; Tairāwhiti: 1; Hawke’s Bay: 9; Taranaki: 9; Whanganui: 2; MidCentral: 14; Wairarapa: 3; Hutt Valley: 15; Capital and Coast: 19; Nelson Marlborough: 7; Canterbury: 49; South Canterbury: 4; West Coast: 2; Southern: 33.
- Average age of current hospitalisations: 61
- Cases in ICU or HDU: 14
- Vaccination status of current hospitalisations (Northern Region only, excluding Emergency Departments): Unvaccinated or not eligible (29 cases / 12%); partially immunised <7 days from second dose or have only received one dose (4 cases / 2%); double vaccinated at least 7 days before being reported as a case (53 cases / 22%); Received booster at least 7 days before being reported as a case (141 cases / 59%); Unknown (13 cases / 5%)
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.
Cases
- Seven day rolling average of community cases: 6,035
- Seven day rolling average (as at same day last week): 6,893
- Number of new community cases: 7,050
- Number of new community cases (PCR): 140
- Number of new community cases (RAT): 6,910
- Location of new community cases (PCR & RAT): Northland (209), Auckland (1,962), Waikato (508), Bay of Plenty (271), Lakes (116), Hawke’s Bay (201), MidCentral (314), Whanganui (106), Taranaki (204), Tairāwhiti (30), Wairarapa (64), Capital and Coast (620), Hutt Valley (325), Nelson Marlborough (280), Canterbury (1,075), South Canterbury (93), Southern (587), West Coast (82), Unknown (3)
- Number of new imported cases: 70
- Number of active community cases (total): 42,233 (cases identified in the past 7 days and not yet classified as recovered)
- Confirmed cases (total): 1,207,717
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): 2,825
- Number of Rapid Antigen Tests reported total (last 24 hours): 13,413
- PCR tests rolling average (last 7 days): 2,661
- Number of Rapid Antigen Tests dispatched (last 7 days as of 3 June 2022): 1.3 million.
1:12pm - The Ministry of Health has provided an update on the COVID-19 related deaths:
Today we are reporting 7,050 community cases, 361 current hospitalisations, and 24 deaths.
The seven-day rolling average of community case numbers today is 6,035 – last Wednesday, it was 6,893.
COVID-19 deaths
Today we are sadly reporting the deaths of 24 people with COVID-19. Twelve of these people have died in the past 4 days, and 12 have died since 25 April.
Today’s reported deaths take the total number of publicly reported deaths with COVID-19 to 1,267 and the seven-day rolling average of reported deaths is 12.
Of the people whose deaths we are reporting today; two were from Northland; six were from the Auckland region, one was from Waikato, two were from Bay of Plenty, one was from Lakes DHB area, one from Taranaki; one from Hawke’s Bay; one from MidCentral, one from the Wellington region; three from Canterbury; five from Southern.
Three people were in their 50s; two in their 60s, five in 70s; seven in their 80s and seven were aged over 90.
Of these people, ten were women and 14 were men.
This is a very sad time for whānau and friends and our thoughts and condolences are with them.
Out of respect, we will be making no further comment on these deaths.
1:10pm - The Ministry of Health revealed there are 7050 new infections and 361 people in hospital.
The health ministry said 24 people have died with COVID-19 on Wednesday taking the country's virus death toll to 1267
Of the new community cases, Northland (209), Auckland (1,962), Waikato (508), Bay of Plenty (271), Lakes (116), Hawke’s Bay (201), MidCentral (314), Whanganui (106), Taranaki (204), Tairāwhiti (30), Wairarapa (64), Capital and Coast (620), Hutt Valley (325), Nelson Marlborough (280), Canterbury (1,075), South Canterbury (93), Southern (587), West Coast (82), Unknown (3)
The ministry announced there are 361 people in hospital with 14 in ICU or HDU.
Of the 361 people in hospital: Northland: 4; Waitemata: 43; Counties Manukau: 34; Auckland: 70; Waikato: 30; Bay of Plenty: 9; Lakes: 4; Tairāwhiti: 1; Hawke’s Bay: 9; Taranaki: 9; Whanganui: 2; MidCentral: 14; Wairarapa: 3; Hutt Valley: 15; Capital and Coast: 19; Nelson Marlborough: 7; Canterbury: 49; South Canterbury: 4; West Coast: 2; Southern: 33.
There are 70 new COVID cases recorded at the border in Managed Isolation and Quarantine.
12:50pm - Kia ora, good afternoon and welcome to Newshub's live updates of the COVID-19 outbreak for Wednesday.
