Covid 19 Omicron: Cases rise in Northland as hospitals busy

Northlanders are being urged to stay away from the region's busy hospitals as Covid 19 cases continue to seesaw in the region

Northland health officials are asking people to only visit over-stretched hospitals in an emergency as Covid 19 cases and hospitalisations continue to fluctuate in the region.

Northland District Health Board said there were 266 new cases of Covid 19 notified in the region in the 24 hours to 6am today.

That is up from the 141 on Monday and 139 the previous day.

These include 124 cases in Whangārei District, 118 cases in Far North District, 24 cases in Kaipara District.

There are 1,550 active cases in Northland currently, with 20 people in hospital in the region having the virus.

In total 29,747 people have recovered from Covid 19 in Northland.

''Our hospitals are extremely busy at the moment. We need to make sure our resources are used to help those who need it most,'' the DHB said in a statement.

''Please only come to hospital if your need is urgent. If you or a whānau member is unwell and you are not sure whether you should come to hospital or not, call Healthline for FREE on 0800 611 116 and they will advise you on what you should do. You can also call your GP or visit White Cross. Remember, if it's a medical emergency, call 111.''

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health says 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 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,'' the Ministry said.

In Northland 90.1 per cent of eligible people have had their first dose; 88 per cent their second dose and 69.4 per cent have had boosters.

For Covid testing/vaccination and RATs centre details of locations and opening hours go to:

For Covid-19 testing locations, visit https://www.northlanddhb.org.nz/.../northland-testing.../

For Covid-19 RATs collection sites, visit https://www.healthpoint.co.nz/covid-19/northland/...

For Covid-19 vaccination locations, visit https://www.northlanddhb.org.nz/.../northland.../