The Delta variant is a highly contagious Sars-CoV-2 virus strain. Video / Paul Slater
By the start of this week, Covid-19 had already spread through 10 different Lakes district suburbs since the first local cases of the Delta-variant outbreak were discovered last month.
Since the beginning of the outbreak on August 17, there had been 34 confirmed or probable community cases as of Monday. There have been four cases since.
New Zealand has now reached 90 per cent fully vaccinated among the eligible population, however, there is still a wee way to go for Lakes District Health Board which has 4714 doses to go before hitting the milestone. This figure was accurate as of Thursday.
Lakes DHB chief operating officer Alan Wilson says it expects to reach 90 per cent fully vaccinated next month.
"Vaccination rates for Lakes DHB have been mixed with some population groups being slower than others to get immunised," he said.
"That said, we are now over 90 per cent first dose and expect to be 90 per cent second dose in January.
"The challenge for our community will be doing everything possible to keep Covid rates in Lakes low.
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"The very best thing is to get very high vaccination rates, 93 to 95 per cent double dosed for adults, and also to get very high rates for childhood vaccination."
As of Wednesday, Wilson said there were no active cases in Taupō and the outbreak there had been shut down. He did expect more cases over summer when people from other regions with higher rates of Covid-19 transmission visit.
"Masking, handwashing, social distancing, and compliance with all government directives under the traffic light system will be critical to keeping our rates low," he said.
"Prevalence of Covid in the community will directly determine the amount of pressure on our hospitals and community-based isolation services. It will be key to avoid us needing to reduce elective surgery."
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has previously warned more cases are to be expected with the opening of Auckland's border – which was on Wednesday.
But a public health expert says the risk to the rest of the country "is relatively small" and like Australia, it might be more beneficial to focus on hospitalisations rather than cases.
"We're waiting to see what happens with the Auckland exodus. I'm not expecting much on this side of Christmas but I may be wrong," University of Waikato Professor of public health Ross Lawrenson said.
"As long as people are careful, I don't think the risks, particularly when coming into high vaccinated population, are too great.
University of Waikato Professor of public health Ross Lawrenson. Photo / Supplied
"[In Australia], they claim we should talk about vaccination rates and hospitalisations ... It's not about the up and down of the cases but who is getting sick."
There was one new Covid-19 community case in the Lakes district yesterday, which was in Rotorua, and 76 in New Zealand. Nationally, 51 cases were in hospital and five were in ICU. Two cases were in Tauranga Hospital.
Meanwhile, the fully vaccinated rate for the entire district was 85 per cent and 91 per cent had received one dose as of Thursday.
The first confirmed case was in Taupō on November 12 and the source of the infection for the first few cases is still being investigated, a Ministry of Health spokesperson said.
"Confirmed and probable cases have been reported from approximately 10 different suburbs across the Lakes district," they said.
"The majority of cases have been reported in the urban centres of Rotorua and Taupō."
Transmission has mostly been among close contacts in social groups and households.
Lakes DHB chief operating officer Alan Wilson. Photo / Supplied
Rotorua deputy mayor Dave Donaldson said the number of cases in the Lakes DHB was small but "it shouldn't be a surprise" there will be more in future.
"That's why vaccination is so crucial," he said. "It's our best personal protection and the best way to minimise the impact on our people, our health system and our local economy.
"Rotorua is open for business and for visitors and our operators will play their part by ensuring they are operating as safely as possible.
"Work to get our vaccination rates up is ongoing and I'd like to acknowledge the great work various organisations and iwi are doing in that space."
Rotorua deputy mayor Dave Donaldson. Photo / Andrew Warner
The virus has spread throughout several school communities across the region.
On Monday, it was confirmed a Malfroy School student tested positive. Parents and caregivers of students who attend the school were asked to keep their children at home.
Meanwhile, in the Bay of Plenty DHB, the source of infection for the first cases on November 18 was still being investigated, the ministry spokesperson said.
Since then, the virus had spread through at least 26 different suburbs, with the majority reported in the Western Bay of Plenty.
"Areas with the highest number of households with a Covid-19 case are in Mount Maunganui and Pāpāmoa, followed by Tauranga South, and Welcome Bay," the spokesperson said.
Again, transmission has mostly been among close contacts in social groups and households.
Since the beginning of the outbreak on August 17, there had been 101 confirmed or probable community cases as of Monday. There have been 34 cases since.
Daily virus testing in Rotorua will be held at the Copthorne Hotel 8.30am to 3pm, except on Christmas day. In Taupō, testing is available daily at 79 Miro Street, 8.30am to 3pm, except on Christmas day. Lakes PrimeCare and many GP practices will also be offering Covid testing.
