New Zealand's Covid-related deaths have jumped to 141 today after 24 deaths over the past three weeks have been added to the total.
The Ministry of Health said in its daily statement this was due to changes to the reporting of deaths which the ministry announced last week.
"Today we are announcing eight people who died with Covid-19 yesterday and an additional 16 people who died in the past three weeks. Among the 24 deaths reported today are eight people whom we know died at aged residential care facilities.
"Delays to reporting can be associated with people dying with, rather than of Covid-19, and Covid being discovered after they have died.
"This takes the total number of publicly reported deaths to date to 141. The rolling seven-day average of deaths publicly announced over the past seven days is seven, up from four yesterday.
"At this point in the outbreak, we are seeing increasing numbers of people dying with Omicron. Sadly, this trend is not unexpected, and our thoughts are with the families of these people.
"As has occurred with Omicron overseas, while Covid-19 cases are usually seen in higher numbers among younger people early in the outbreak, over time the more severe and fatal consequences of the virus fall disproportionately on our older and more vulnerable populations.
"The average stay in hospital for Covid-19 patients in the Northern region is lengthening, and the average age increasing. This indicates those being admitted are more likely to be vulnerable because of their older age and pre-existing non-Covid health conditions.
"In New Zealand we have taken significant steps to limit the spread of Covid-19 in aged care facilities, such as pausing or limiting visitors, strong infection prevention and control measures, and limiting the rotation of staff among facilities.
"One of the best things everyone can do to protect older and more vulnerable people, including family and loved ones, is to get vaccinated and get boosted.
"Of the 24 people being reported today, three died in Northland, seven in Auckland, seven in Waikato, two in the Bay of Plenty, two in MidCentral and two in Wairarapa.
"One of these people was in their 40s, one in their 50s, four in their 60s, three in their 70s, eight in their 80s and six in their 90s. Eleven were women and twelve were men. Demographic information for one person is not available.
"The average age of the people announced today was 79 and this has been increasing over the last week."
This came as the ministry also announced there were 19,542 new community cases to report today.
These were in: Northland (661), Auckland (5,318), Waikato (1,834), Bay of Plenty (1,347), Lakes (584), Hawke’s Bay (1,049), MidCentral (802), Whanganui (231), Taranaki (663), Tairāwhiti (370), Wairarapa (208), Capital and Coast (1,308), Hutt Valley (780), Nelson Marlborough (487), Canterbury (2,385), South Canterbury (184), Southern (1,203), West Coast (30); Unknown (7).
There were also 35 new cases detected at the border.
New Zealand now has a total of 197,464 active Covid cases.
There are 971 people with Covid-19 in hospital, 21 of them are in ICU or HDU.
There are 13 people with Covid-19 in Southern hospitals.
