There are 588 new community cases of Covid-19 in Canterbury today and six more people with the virus have died in the region.
Health officials reported 5169 new community cases in New Zealand on Wednesday and 18 further virus-related deaths.
There are 599 people in hospitals across the country with Covid, including 11 in ICU, 86 in Canterbury DHB hospitals and 23 in South Canterbury hospitals.
Cases in hospital: Northland: 36; Waitematā: 59; Counties Manukau: 53; Auckland: 68; Waikato: 60; Bay of Plenty: 23; Lakes: 17; Hawke’s Bay: 35; MidCentral: 21; Whanganui: 16; Taranaki: 12; Tairawhiti: 2; Wairarapa: 7; Capital & Coast: 15; Hutt Valley: 16; Nelson Marlborough: 15; Canterbury: 86; West Coast: 4; South Canterbury: 23; Southern: 31.
The Ministry of Health says the seven-day rolling average of cases in hospital is 630. This time last week 772. The average age of people in hospital with the virus is 63.
Of the 18 deaths reported today, three were from the Auckland region, two were from Waikato, three were from Bay of Plenty, one was from Hawke's Bay, one was from Whanganui, one was from Wellington region, six were from Canterbury and one was from Southern. Five people were in their 70s, eight were in their 80s and five were aged over 90. Of these people, seven were women and 11 were men.
There are now 1705 deaths confirmed as attributable to Covid, either as the underlying cause of death or as a contributing factor. The seven-day rolling average increase in total deaths attributable to the virus is 15.
The seven-day rolling average of community case numbers today is 4938. Last Wednesday it was 6355.
