There are 202 new community cases of Covid-19 to report today as cases in schools rise with the start of the school year.
The new community cases are Northland (17), Auckland (119), Waikato (39), Lakes (4), Bay of Plenty (8), Taranaki (1), Hawke’s Bay (8), Hutt Valley (1), Capital & Coast (4), Nelson Marlborough (1).
There are no new cases to report in Canterbury today.
There were 63 new cases caught at the border who are in MIQ. An additional 11 cases on a vessel were also reported.
There are 14 people with Covid-19 in hospital, one in Rotorua is in ICU OR HDU.
There have been a number of Covid-19 cases identified at schools recently. This is not unexpected following the start of the school year, the ministry said in its update today.
"Vaccination continues to be New Zealand’s best defence against Covid-19, and vaccination of those currently eligible will help to both protect children and further lower the risk of transmission in schools. All staff in schools are required to be vaccinated and the vaccination programme is well underway for 5 to 11-year-olds.
"There are requirements for mask wearing such as for visitors, and for staff and students in year 4 and above, when at Red. Where not required, mask wearing is encouraged, especially in higher density indoor settings where there is an increased risk of transmission.
"We also continue to encourage good hygiene practices and urge parents to keep children home from school and to be tested if they have any symptoms that could be Covid-19."
There is one new case in the Tasman region to report today. This case is linked to a previously reported case.
Investigations are continuing to determine the source of a case who was staying at Tahuna Beach Holiday Park at the time of the positive test.
There are 17 new cases in Northland today, investigations to determine links are ongoing.
There are 119 cases to report in Auckland today. There are 2670 people isolating in the community, 1099 of whom are cases.
There are 39 new cases to report in Waikato today. Twenty-nine of these cases have links to previously reported cases.
Public health staff are continuing their investigations into the remaining ten cases.
Twenty-five of today’s cases are in Hamilton, two in Ngāruawāhia, two in Ōhaupō, two in Taupiri, one in Morrinsville and the remaining locations are to be confirmed.
There are four new cases to report in the Lakes DHB area today – two of which are in Rotorua and two are in Tāupo.
Three of these cases have links to previously reported cases, while the source of the remaining case is under investigation.
There are eight new cases in the Bay of Plenty region, all in Tauranga or the wider Western Bay of Plenty. This number includes one mariner aboard the SF Maui, which has been at the Port of Tauranga
Six of these cases are linked to previously reported cases.
There is one new Covid-19 case to report in Taranaki today which is linked to a previously identified case in Northland. This case was reported by Taranaki DHB on Sunday, but is officially included in today’s numbers. The case and their household contacts are isolating in South Taranaki, and at this stage there are no new locations of interest for the region.
There are eight new cases to report in Hawke’s Bay today, four of which are associated with Te Mata Primary School in Havelock North.
As two of the cases were unknowingly infectious while at school last week a number of individuals have been identified as close contacts. Hawke’s Bay DHB’s Public Health Unit is working closely with the school and the Ministry of Education.
The other four Hawke’s Bay cases are linked to known cases.
There are five new cases in the Wellington region today, all are household contacts of existing cases.
