Covid-19: 1308 new community cases in Canterbury

There are 1308 new community cases of Covid-19 in Canterbury today and 82 in South Canterbury, the Ministry of Health says.

Across New Zealand, there are 17,522 new community cases and 696 people in hospital, including 13 people in intensive care.

There are 14 people in Canterbury hospitals.

Today's new community cases (PCR & RAT) are in Northland (509), Auckland (7,639), Waikato (1,541), Bay of Plenty (1,174), Lakes (475), Hawke’s Bay (435), MidCentral (400), Whanganui (95), Taranaki (311), Tairāwhiti (217), Wairarapa (99), Capital and Coast (1,545), Hutt Valley (837), Nelson Marlborough (329), Canterbury (1,308), South Canterbury (82), Southern (506), West Coast (14); Unknown (6).

There are 11 new cases identified at the border, three of which are confirmed and eight probable.

There are now 10,897 active Covid cases in the Canterbury DHB area, including 6922 in Christchurch.  

The number of active Covid cases in Canterbury as at 8am on Monday March 7. *Please note, the...
The number of active Covid cases in Canterbury as at 8am on Monday March 7. *Please note, the Ministry of Health’s daily reported cases today in Canterbury may differ from those reported at a DHB or local public health unit level. This is because of different reporting cut off times and the assignment of cases between regions, for example when a case is tested outside their usual region of residence. Image: CDHB
On Sunday there were 1019 new cases in the Canterbury DHB area and 52 in the South Canterbury DHB area.

There were 15,161 new community cases nationally yesterday, down on Saturday's total of 18,833. On Friday there were 22,527 cases.

But the number of people in hospital with Covid is on the rise with 618 people in hospital with it yesterday, up from 597 the previous day.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will be fronting media later this afternoon after Cabinet meets.

28 people at protest test positive

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health confirmed today that 28 people who were at the protest at Parliament in Wellington have now tested positive for Covid-19.

Data is not available for the number of cases who required hospital care who were identified as being at the protest.

A spokesperson said these people were thought to be protesters although they had not been interviewed as they would have been prior to the recent changes in case investigation.

"In Phase 3, cases are not routinely interviewed by health officials and are instead asked to fill out a contact tracing form. Only cases that are identified through their interaction with the health system can therefore be identified as having attended the protest.

"The Ministry continues to encourage anyone who attended the protest at Parliament to get tested and isolate at home if they have any cold or flu symptoms, and to get vaccinated and boosted to protect themselves and each other from Covid-19."

Cases in Chatham Islands 

The ministry is reporting two Covid-19 cases in the Chatham Islands today.

These two cases are already isolating and being supported on the Islands.

The Canterbury DHB, which manages health services on the Islands, is distributing RATs to all households early this week, as a precaution to allow early detection of positive cases.

-Additional reporting NZ Herald