By RNZ
Emergency ambulance services across Aotearoa recorded the highest ever 111 call volumes over the weekend.
At its peak on Sunday, St John and Wellington Free Ambulance recorded 2322 calls nationwide into its centres in Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch - about 100 more calls a day than the previous record.
In a statement, St John said there had been reports of record wait times of up to seven-and-a-half minutes for a 111 call to be answered.
"Our emergency call handlers have noted a rise in the number of people calling for non-urgent matters and people who do not need an ambulance. For example, we've had people phoning us with a headache, wanting advice and people asking us how to get a Covid-19 test," St John clinical director Tony Smith said.