New Zealand reports 24 new community cases of COVID-19

WELLINGTON – New Zealand reported 24 new cases of COVID-19 in the community on Wednesday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country’s current community outbreak to 11,360.

Among the new infections, 14 were recorded in the largest city of Auckland, one in Northland, one in nearby Waikato, five in the Lakes region, one in Bay of Plenty, one in Hawke’s Bay, and one in Hutt Valley, according to the country’s Ministry of Health.

A total of 24 cases are being treated in hospitals, including two in intensive care units or high dependency units, a ministry statement said.

The total number of the confirmed cases of COVID-19 in New Zealand stands at 14,874 currently, according to the health ministry.

The ministry also reported an Auckland airport worker, who is double vaccinated and has had a booster dose, tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday. Whole genome sequencing for this case will be returned later Wednesday. However, from an abundance of caution, the case is currently being managed as a case with the Omicron variant of COVID-19.

Read more: New Zealand reports 14 new community cases of COVID-19

The ministry has reported 370 Omicron cases detected at the border since Dec. 1, and 32 cases of the Delta variant.

There are also 203 COVID-19 cases caught at the border that are still undergoing whole genome sequencing. The expectation is that the vast majority will be with the Omicron variant.

To date, about 93 percent of the eligible people in New Zealand are double-dosed or fully vaccinated, said the ministry, adding that from Monday, people over the age of 18 are able to book online to have their booster shot four months since their last vaccine dose.

Nearly 30,000 children aged five to 11 in New Zealand now have greater protection against COVID-19 after starting being vaccinated from Monday, according to the ministry.