Gaurav Sharma's job on the line as PM calls caucus meeting, secret cameras record 50,000 Auckland drivers unlawfully using phones & significant rain forecast right through to the weekend. Video / NZ Herald
The Ministry of Health has released its latest update on Covid cases and deaths.
There are 4811 new community cases of Covid-19 today.
A further 21 Covid-related deaths have also been reported.
Of the 21 deaths six were from the Auckland region, two were from Waikato, three were from Lakes, two were from Hawke's Bay, one was from Wellington region, two were from Nelson Marlborough, three were from Canterbury, one was from South Canterbury, one was from Southern.
Five were aged in their 70s, eight were in their 80s and eight were aged over 90. Of these people, 13 were women and eight were men.
There is now a total of 1782 deaths that have been confirmed as attributable to Covid-19 (either as the underlying cause of death or as a contributing factor).
The seven-day rolling average of community case numbers today is 4073 – last Tuesday it was 5120.
Of the 4811 cases reported today, 169 people had recently travelled overseas.
There are 533 people in hospital with the virus, including 12 in intensive care.
The hospital patients are being treated in Northland (25), Waitematā (64), Counties Manukau (61), Auckland (62), Waikato (77), Bay of Plenty (17), Lakes (eight), Hawke's Bay (38), MidCentral (16), Whanganui (8), Taranaki (11), Tairāwhiti (1), Wairarapa (10), Capital & Coast (15), Hutt Valley (12), Nelson Marlborough (nine), Canterbury (68), West Coast (4), South Canterbury (13) and Southern (14).
Today's weekly hospitalisation average is 556, while last Tuesday, it was 645.
Meanwhile, new data shows New Zealand recorded its worst week for deaths in July with 903 people dying - and nearly a quarter had contracted Covid within 28 days of their death.
The just-released data from Statistics New Zealand and the Ministry of Health shows in the last week of July at least 213 people who died - 23.6 per cent - had recently had Covid.
Of the 903 deaths, 142 were attributed to Covid and had it listed as a cause of death on their death certificate.
The number is the highest weekly deaths in that Statistics NZ dataset - which started in 2011.
The next highest week was also in the midst of the Omicron second wave - 879 people died in the week ending July 17 - and prior to that the worst week was the week ending August 17, 2017 with 864 deaths.
That figure means Covid-19 has been directly responsible for one in seven recent deaths – and has already claimed five times as many lives as those lost in car accidents last year.
Otago University epidemiologist Professor Michael Baker warned falling numbers did not mean the end of Covid-19 in New Zealand. Photo / Supplied
The news comes in the same week Covid case numbers in New Zealand look to be on the decline.
Yesterday the seven-day rolling average of hospitalisations was 570; last Monday, it was 660.
Otago University epidemiologist Professor Michael Baker said despite the recent decline in case numbers Covid-19 was in the top three causes of death in New Zealand.
"Covid has become a leading cause of death in New Zealand but this is only a point in time.
"As the case numbers fall down we will see the deaths fall as well but there is a bit of a lag of several weeks."
Baker said if averaged out over the year Covid-19 would still be a leading cause of death.
It had caused just over 2000 deaths this year - out of a total of 35,000 so about 6 percent of deaths, he said.
"It puts it in the top three causes of deaths and many of those deaths would have been people who would have survived.
"It has added to the death rate in New Zealand and increased our mortality rate. It is having a significant population effect."
Yesterday there were 6910 new community cases of Covid-19 reported and a further 16 Covid-related deaths.
There were 836 people in hospital with the virus, including 27 in intensive care. The average age of people with Covid-19 in hospital is 65.
Baker said he hoped that one day the disease would see stable lower rates, but that milestone was still a dream for Covid, which has proved time again just how unpredictable it is.
He said despite the promising decline in cases New Zealanders should not get complacent and warned of the strain this could have on the health system.
