Covid-19 coronavirus: Testing surge in Palmerston North, no new Omicron cases today

Wellington Airport is the latest location of interest. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Testing numbers have more than doubled in Manawatū since the detection of the infectious variant Omicron.

There were no new cases of Covid-19 reported in Palmerston North today, however one case has been reported in Wellington - the source of which is still under investigation.

Yesterday Palmerston North recorded its third community case of Omicron, after the first case was confirmed to have the infectious new variant last week.

A second case was reported on Monday and a third yesterday – both of which are household contacts isolating at home.

MidCentral DHB acting Covid-19 senior responsible officer Kevin Billinghurst said testing hours were extended over the weekend.

Palmertson North currently has three cases of the Omicron variant. Photo / 123rf

Yesterday 569 tests were processed in the MidCentral region, more than double the number of tests recorded a week ago, before the detection of the positive case. Last Wednesday MidCentral DHB recorded 216 Covid tests.

More than 1100 tests were undertaken over the Wellington Anniversary weekend.

Billington said Palmerston North Hospital had six ICU beds, but they expected most people infected with Covid-19 would not require hospital care.

"We currently have six ICU beds but substantial capacity to manage hospitalised patients requiring higher levels of care," he said.

"We expect that the vast majority of people who test positive for Covid-19 will be managed within the community.

"Vaccination substantially reduces the likelihood of a person requiring hospital admissions including ICU care."

As at January 20, around 93 per cent of the eligible population (12-plus) in the MidCentral region were fully vaccinated.

Palmerston North had 99 per cent of the eligible population fully vaccinated, with Manawatū sitting at 96 per cent.

Billington said wastewater testing has been conducted in Palmerston North and Fielding, but so far there have been no positive results.

He said this was not unexpected, as the affected family did not use the central wastewater system.

Omicron was first reported in the Manawatū last week, after a person who had returned to the region from MIQ developed symptoms.

He had returned five negative tests while in managed isolation, but was then active in the community for several days while symptomatic, resulting in more than a dozen locations of interest.

Meanwhile in the capital Jetstar Check-In at Wellington Domestic airport is the latest location of interest, listed for Monday January 24 between 6.30am and 9.40am.

There are currently two active community cases in Wellington and three in the Hutt Valley.