February 12 2022
There was a record 454 new cases of Covid-19 in the community today with 27 people now in hospital as Omicron continues to surge.
A firefighter at Winton in Southland has tested positive for Covid-19.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand confirmed the case on Saturday and said that all firefighters from the Winton Volunteer Fire brigade are isolating as they have been identified as close contacts of a positive case.
They will all be tested and the fire trucks will be out of service until they come out of isolation.
FENZ has assured the community in Winton that they will still respond to emergencies with neighbouring brigades until Winton's fire trucks are back in service.
There are a record 454 new cases of Covid in the community with 27 people now in hospital as Omicron continues to surge.
The record number also reveals the spread of the virus through the country. There are cases in Northland (12), Auckland (294), Waikato (72), Bay of Plenty (23), Lakes (8), Hawke's Bay (7), MidCentral (5), Taranaki (1), Wellington (5), Hutt Valley (12), Wairarapa (2) and Southern (13).
A case of Covid-19 has been confirmed in South Canterbury, the Ministry of Health said. There are now two active cases in South Canterbury. Health chiefs are urging anyone in the region who has any cold- or flu-like symptoms to get tested.
Today's update comes as The Big Boost weekend public health initiative aims to encourage Kiwis to get their third jab.
"The Big Boost Week continues to see tens of thousands of people going out to get their booster dose each day. Yesterday, there were 57,364 boosters administered," the ministry said in today's statement.
"It'd be great to crack some days up in the 80s, 90s, even crack 100,000, we can do that," director general of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield earlier told the Herald.
Director general of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield. Photo / Mark Mitchell
There were eight new cases identified at the border today. The seven-day rolling average of border cases is 28.
The seven-day rolling average of community cases is 275.
The ministry has asked that only people with cold or flu symptoms, or people who have been at a location of interest, get tested so that capacity is not overwhelmed at the moment.
"It is encouraging to see a high level of testing this week. However, it is important the right people get tested for the right reasons.
"There is good testing capacity throughout the country, but unnecessary testing could delay results for those who urgently need them.
"People should only get tested if they have cold or flu symptoms, if they have been at a location of interest, or if they have been asked to get tested by a health official."
Tairāwhiti has reached two vaccination milestones today. Their eligible population reached 90 per cent fully vaccinated, the 18th DHB to do so, and its eligible Māori population reached 90 per cent first doses.
Of those in hospital two are in North Shore, 11 in Middlemore, 10 in Auckland, two in Rotorua, and one each in Waikato and Christchurch. The average age is 52.
There were 24,820 Covid-19 tests across New Zealand in the past 24 hours.
This is up on the seven-day rolling average of daily national Covid-19 tests at 19,296.
The ministry is reporting there are 7 million rapid antigen tests in New Zealand.
The breakdown of vaccines administered across the country yesterday was: 668 first doses, 1518 second doses, 2482 paediatric doses and 57,364 booster doses.
There are a total of 3303 active cases identified in the past 21 days not yet classified as recovered.
Last week, the ministry launched The Big Boost - a campaign encouraging eligible Kiwis to get their booster dose to further their protection against Omicron.
As anti-vaccine mandate protesters occupy Parliament grounds for the fifth day in a tense standoff with police, Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins issued a press release yesterday announcing the number of jabs administered to Kiwis had hit the 10 million mark.
Lisa Ngu and Yien Tang get their Covid booster vaccinations. Photo / Michael Craig
It was bolstered by a surge in boosters and "healthy uptake" in children aged 5 to 11 having their first dose, he said.
"Kiwis have really pulled together to protect each other, with 95 per cent of people aged over 12 now fully vaccinated – one of the highest rates in the world. Sixty-one per cent of people over 18 who are due for a booster have already had one – and this is climbing quickly," Hipkins said.
To boost access this weekend, many regions had extended opening hours and added sites to their vaccination programmes.
Auckland had more than 350 sites open, including the newly minted centre at the Cloud on the waterfront.
Northland, the only region yet to hit 90 per cent fully vaccinated, is hosting two Big Boost events today in Dargaville and Kerikeri, with further access for remote areas via mobile units.
Additional booster clinics for essential workers will be held in Hawke's Bay this weekend, and Southern DHB has extended opening hours of its drive-through clinic in Dunedin.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern visits the new vaccination centre at the Cloud in Tamaki Makaurau to promote boosters in response to the Omicron strain of Covid 19. Photo / Alex Burton
About 1.1 million people needed to get their booster in 17 days to reach 90 per cent by the end of the month - almost 65,000 per day.
