Covid 19 Omicron outbreak: Locations unknown for seven Northland cases

The Ministry of Health reports 50 new cases in Northland today, while the Northland District Health Board reports 40 new cases in Northland today, as the Omicron outbreak continues.

Some of the locations of new Covid cases in Northland are unknown with investigations being carried out to pinpoint where they are.

They were among the 40 new cases announced in Northland by the district health board on Monday.

Kerikeri continued to record the highest number of cases with 10, followed by eight in Whangārei, three in both Kaitāia and Dargaville, two each in Taipa Bay-Mangōnui, Kāeo, Kaikohe and Moerewa, with one case in Russell.

The specific locations of seven of the cases were unknown with investigations under way to determine where they are.

The new cases take Northland's number of active cases to 353 from a total of 509 since October 22 last year.

One Covid case was reported as being in hospital, according to the Ministry of Health's 1pm statement.

However, Northland DHB reported there were no Covid cases in the region's hospitals.

The ministry reported a slight dip from Sunday's record-breaking number of daily cases with 2365 community cases reported nationwide.

Again, Auckland recorded the highest number of new cases with a total 1692.

The remaining cases were in Northland - 50, according to the ministry, Waikato (136), Bay of Plenty (42), Lakes (24), Hawke's Bay (23), MidCentral (14), Whanganui (5), Taranaki (4), Tairāwhiti (9), Wairarapa (8), Capital and Coast (89), Hutt Valley (19), Nelson Marlborough (58), Canterbury (105), South Canterbury (1), and the Southern region (86).

Two Covid-19 related deaths were reported by the ministry on Monday. They occurred within Auckland hospitals.

There are 116 people hospitalised with the virus in hospitals across the country, including one person in intensive care.

Monday's numbers come two days after close to 200 vehicles took part in an anti-mandate protest in Kerikeri on Saturday morning.

Traffic came to standstill in Kerikeri when a man opposed to the anti-mandate protest blocked the path of the "Northland Community Freedom Bus". Photo / Peter de Graaf

The vehicles, including a ''freedom bus'', a few trucks and even three horses, drove laps of Kerikeri town centre before stopping at Kerikeri Domain for speeches.

The protest lasted till mid-afternoon, but it was interrupted when a man staged his own counter-protest by standing in the path of the brightly-painted ''Northland Community Freedom Bus''.

The tense stand-off caused a 15-minute traffic jam on Kerikeri's main road and only ended when police arrived.