There have been 105 new community cases of Covid-19 reported in New Zealand over the past two days, with two further deaths also reported, the Ministry of Health says.
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There was no statement from the Ministry yesterday because it was New Year’s Day.
In today’s statement it said there were 43 people in hospital, including five in intensive care.
Two deaths of patients with Covid-19 in Auckland City Hospital have also been reported in the past 48 hours.
“The Ministry would like to pass on its sympathies to the friends and whanau of the two patients.”
The new community cases reported over the past two days were in Auckland (71), Waikato (7), Bay of Plenty (22), Rotorua (4), Hawke’s Bay (1).
The Ministry said the Auckland cases include six from the Everil Orr Care Centre in Mount Albert – five residents and one staff member.
One of the residents who tested positive on 30 December is in a stable condition in hospital. All other residents and staff – who are all fully vaccinated – were tested on 31 December and early on New Year’s Day.
The seven new cases in the Waikato include three in Te Kūiti, two in Hamilton, one in Ōtorohanga, and one in Matarangi. Of the 22 new cases in Bay of Plenty, 15 are in Tauranga, five are in Western Bay of Plenty and two are in the Eastern Bay of Plenty.
Several new locations of interest have been added in Auckland, Rotorua, Bay of Plenty and Taupō. They include escorts services The Pelican Club and Femme Fatale and strip club The Mermaid Auckland.
The Ministry said there were no new Omicron cases in the community, with two more identified at the border.
There were also 33 cases identified at the border over the past two days and the Ministry said this increased number was a reflection on the increase in cases globally and the continued impact of Covid-19 in many parts of the world.
The new cases at the border came from Saudi Arabia, UK, USA, Philippines, UAE, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Israel, Australia, Mauritius, India, Fiji, Qatar, Pakistan, Singapore and Turkey.
At its last update on Friday, there were 49 new community cases in New Zealand.
There have been 10,928 cases in the current community outbreak and 13,883 cases in New Zealand since the pandemic began.
The Ministry also said today that Taranaki DHB was 658 doses away from 90 percent of its eligible population being fully vaccinated, and the West Coast DHB was 655 doses away. Thirteen of the country’s 20 DHBs have reached the 90 percent milestone.
The vaccines given over the past two days included 720 first doses; 3892 second doses; 274 third primary doses and 14,501 booster doses.
