There are eleven new cases of Covid-19 in Bay of Plenty and four in the Lakes District Health Board area today.
Ten of the BOP cases are in Tauranga area and one is in Murupara.
Three of the Lakes cases are in Rotorua and one is in Taupō.
All four Lakes cases remain under investigation for links to previously reported cases. All cases are isolating at home.
Ten of the BOP cases, including the new case in Murupara, are linked to previously reported cases, and one is still being investigated for potential links.
All cases are isolating at home.
In Murupara, local iwi health provider Te Ika Whenua Hauora is managing testing and vaccination with support from the DHB. A testing centre has been opened and details are available on the Healthpoint website.
There are 56 new cases in New Zealand with 51 in hospital and seven in ICU.
One case is in Tauranga Hospital.
There was an unexpected wastewater detection in Whitianga on December 20.
There are several new locations of interest for the region. Click here.
The Ministry confirmed it is reporting a case in the Hutt Valley area of the Wellington region, with a link established to the Lakes DHB area.
Six new cases of Omicron have been detected in recent returnees in managed isolation and quarantine facilities. That takes the total number of international arrivals to New Zealand with the Omicron variant to 28.
Minister Chris Hipkins yesterday confirmed a number of changes that would impact managed isolation, the border and 5-11 year olds.
The young age group will now be able to get vaccinated, with their parents' permission, from January 17, while the proposed re-opening of the border on the same day has been pushed out until the end of February.
There are now two Covid-19 community cases in Murupara, a town that has one of the Bay of Plenty's lowest vaccination rates.
Murupara Community Board chairwoman Jackie Te Amo said her "thoughts and prayers" were with the family.
"I'm hoping that the families inside our ward have actually got protection - that they are vaccinated."
Te Amo said health providers such as Te Ika Whenua Hauora had processes in place for the families and how best to look after them.
"I know that every iwi is doing pretty much their Covid plans inside our ward.
"I'm really impressed that everybody is pulling together."
She encouraged people to keep getting tested and if they were feeling unwell, and asked people to "think about other families" before going to "areas that you shouldn't be".
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