Of the 23 deaths reported today of people with COVID-19, all but one were over the age of 70.
Some aged care facilities are now entering self-imposed lockdowns to protect their vulnerable residents.
It's like we've rewound the clock to 2020 - the aged care facility Eden Village is in a self-imposed lockdown.
"We've made the decision to temporarily close our doors to visitors apart from on compassionate grounds," Eden Village manager Catherine Larsen said.
There's no escaping COVID-19, a virus that just won't let up.
"Currently, we have 16 active cases with our residents and eight staff," Larsen said.
She has a message for those with COVID rule fatigue.
"Collectively as a group, as a nation, we need to band together and we know that the best way to prevent the spread of the disease is through vaccination," Larsen said.
Newshub's been told about 70 percent of residents there have had their second booster shot.
The Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield said wearing masks and getting vaccinated is crucial because there's one vulnerable demographic that's making a large number of the COVID cases right now.
"What is driving our increase in hospitalisations, which has been quite rapid among people 65 years and older. They have increased by 33 percent in the week ending July 10," Dr Bloomfield said.
There were 23 deaths with COVID reported on Thursday, all but one were over the age of 70, but there was another staggering statistic.
The Ministry of Health data shows over 90 percent of all reported deaths with COVID so far are people over the age of 60.
"Someone in their 20s has a pretty low risk but someone in their 70s would have 20 to 30 times the risk of severe disease or hospitalisation," Auckland University's computational biologist Dr David Welch said.
"It's very concerning. All the way through COVID we've seen older people are the ones who have really been bearing the brunt of the risk and we're seeing that again here," Age Concern Auckland CEO Kevin Lamb said.
But Age Concern is encouraged by the Government's latest move to make masks and tests free, but wanted to see more.
"We need people to be able to get hold of masks, to get hold of RAT tests - these are essential to ensure we're protecting people, we're knowing when we've got COVID or are a risk," Lamb said.
"That's the bare minimum."
Measures that could help keep these folk safe.
