There are 56 new Covid-19 cases in the community on Wednesday, the Ministry of Health says.
The cases were detected in Auckland (33), Waikato (6), Bay of Plenty (11), Lakes (4), Taranaki (1), and Hutt Valley (1).
Six new Omicron cases have been detected at the border, bringing the total number of arrivals to New Zealand with the variant to 28.
The Ministry of Health said since December 1, a total of 45 Covid-19 cases had been found at the border. That means that, of those, about 60 per cent had the Omicron variant.
“Health and MIQ teams have been carefully planning for Omicron cases at the border and will continue to manage all arrivals cautiously,” the ministry said.
There are no community Omicron cases.
Fifty-one people with Covid-19 are in hospital on Wednesday, all of them but three in the Auckland region. Of those cases, seven people, all in Auckland, are in ICU or in a high dependency unit.
There are 54 cases isolating at home in Waikato and a further 590 cases in Auckland.
In Waikato, three of the cases are in Te Kūiti and two are in Tokoroa. The remaining case usually lives outside Waikato but is isolating in Te Kūiti.
Of the 11 cases in the Bay of Plenty, 10 are in the Tauranga area and one is in Murupara.
Ten of today’s cases, including the one in Murupara, are linked to previously reported cases. Investigations are underway to find links for the remaining person.
All cases are isolating at home.
Of the four new cases in the Lakes DHB area, three are in Rotorua and one is in Taupō.
All four cases remain under investigation for links to previously reported cases. The cases are isolating at home.
Wednesday’s one new case in New Plymouth has been linked to a previously reported case in the city.
A new case has also been reported in the Hutt Valley area. The person has a link to the Lakes DHB area.
Interviews with the case have also identified a small number of household contacts, who are also isolating and will be tested.
There are five initial locations of interest in the region.
Three Covid-19 cases in recent arrivals - the variants of which are yet to be confirmed - have also been detected at the border. Two are in MIQ facilities in Auckland and the remaining is in Christchurch.
About 22,200 tests were processed on Tuesday.
On Tuesday, 28 cases were detected in the community.
SHARE ME