The locations of today's community cases are Northland (448), Auckland (2,274), Waikato (751), Bay of Plenty (424), Lakes (203), Hawke's Bay (362), MidCentral (413), Whanganui (153), Taranaki (331), Tairāwhiti (93), Wairarapa (131), Capital and Coast (633), Hutt Valley (325), Nelson Marlborough (368), Canterbury (1,682), South Canterbury (241), Southern (1,346) and the West Coast (110).
The location of six cases is unknown and the average age of the cases in hospital is 60.
The vaccination statuses of hospitalised cases in the Northern region is:
• Unvaccinated or not eligible: 53 cases / 19 per cent
• Partially immunised <7 days from second dose or have only received one dose: Seven cases / 2 per cent
• Double vaccinated at least seven days before being reported as a case: 77 cases / 27 per cent
• Received booster at least seven days before being reported as a case: 135 cases / 48 per cent
• Unknown: 11 cases / 4 per cent
The seven-day rolling average of case numbers continues to decline. Today the rolling average is 7935 while the seven-day rolling average of cases last Thursday was 8990.
"It's really important people continue to follow public health advice to stay at home; away from school or work if you're feeling unwell. Another way to protect you and your whānau is to get vaccinated if you haven't already done so," the health ministery said.
"Vaccination remains our best defence against Covid-19 and getting boosted is an important way people can protect themselves, their whānau and their friends from the virus.
"Please if you are due for a vaccination, whether it be a second shot or booster, make an appointment today."
Meanwhile, there were 66 Covid-19 cases detected at the border. In total, there are 55,515 active community cases in New Zealand.
In the seven days to April 21, 503,480 RATs were dispatched.
As daily case numbers begin to drop it has been revealed that nearly one million Kiwis are yet to receive their booster dose.
To date, 95.2 per cent of New Zealanders aged 12 and older have had two doses of Covid-19 vaccine and 71.2 per cent of those eligible have been boosted.
For eligible Māori, these figures are 88.2 per cent and 55.2 per cent, respectively.
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For eligible Pacific peoples, 96.6 per cent have had two doses and 57.3 per cent of those eligible have had a booster.
It comes as Canterbury DHB chief executive Peter Bramley urged staff to not become complacent.
He said he suspects everyone is a "bit over it" after two years of responding to the challenges of Covid-19.
"At work, at home and in our community, we are all responsible for taking the necessary precautions to reduce the spread of Covid-19, influenza and RSV."
Meanwhile, Papakura GP Matire Harwood said it was interesting that so many fully vaccinated people had chosen not to get the third dose, even though it is exactly the same vaccine they have had in their body before - twice.
"It has been more difficult to get them to think about having a booster shot."
Although the national booster rate is 71 per cent, the number of eligible boosted Māori (57 per cent) and Pasifika (59 per cent) is even lower.
Harwood said some of the reasons for the hesitancy included a fear of side effects, and the possibility of further boosters.
"[They're] saying 'if we go on to have a third [vaccine shot], that opens up the door to have a fourth or fifth or annual vaccinations', which is interesting given that these are the same people that have been okay coming in for their flu vax each year."
Another likely reason for the lower uptake: there have not been widespread mandates for boosters, as there was to be double vaccinated for some people's jobs or to get a vaccine pass.
Harwood said a lot of other people have recently had Covid, so they don't think they need a vaccine anymore.
University of Auckland epidemiologist Rod Jackson thought it would take another variant, wave or vaccine passes to get people to get boosted.
He said the Government may consider bringing back vaccine passes, but increasing the requirement to having had three doses to be considered vaccinated. This would help increase the booster uptake.
Jackson also said ahead of a winter wave of Covid, it was a "no brainer" for a fourth vaccine dose - a second booster - to be approved for certain older or immunocompromised people, which he said had been shown to be effective in Israel.
- Additional reporting from RNZ
