Monday update:
The Ministry of Health is reporting 29 new Covid cases in the community, with one of these in Waikato and the rest Auckland.
This follows 33 cases on Sunday and 27 on Saturday.
The Ministry said of the latest cases, eight had yet to be linked. Some 19 of 33 cases on Sunday were infectious in the community.
There's 30 people in hospital, with five of these in ICU.
The figures were released ahead of the Goverment's post-Cabinet briefing on Alert Levels at 4pm.
There were 27,000 vaccinations on Sunday, with 7000 of those first doses. Just under 3000 first doses were administered in Auckland.
This is the Ministry's Covid update release:
|
Cases |
|
| Number of new community cases | 29 |
| Number of new cases identified at the border | Two |
| Location of new community cases * | Auckland (28); Waikato (1) |
| Location of community cases (total) | Auckland (including four cases in Upper Hauraki; all of whom are in the same household) 1,337 (1,065 of whom have recovered); Waikato 2; Upper Hauraki 1; Wellington 17 (all of whom have recovered) |
| Number of community cases (total) | 1,357 (in the current community outbreak) |
| Cases infectious in the community | 19 (58%) of yesterday’s 33 cases have exposure events |
| Cases in isolation throughout the period they were infectious | 14 (42%) of yesterday’s 33 cases |
| Cases epidemiologically linked | 21 of today’s 29 cases are linked. |
| Cases to be epidemiologically linked | 8 of today’s 29 cases. Investigations are continuing to determine a link. |
| Cases epidemiologically linked (total) | 1,314 (in the current cluster) (21 unlinked from the past fortnight). |
| Number of sub-clusters | 15 epidemiologically linked subclusters. Of these, seven are active, one is contained and seven are dormant. There are 14 epidemiologically unlinked subclusters. Of these, five are active, one is contained and eight are dormant. |
| Cases in hospital | 30 (total): North Shore (3) Middlemore (13); Auckland (13); Waikato (1) |
| Cases in ICU or HDU | Five |
| Confirmed cases (total) | 4,025 since pandemic began. |
| Historical cases, since 1 Jan 2021 (total) | 163 out of 2,208 since 1 Jan 2021 |
| Contacts | |
| Number of open contacts being managed (total): | 1,184 |
| Percentage who have received an outbound call from contact tracers (to confirm testing and isolation requirements) | 81% |
| Percentage with at least one test result | 71% |
| Locations of interest | |
| Locations of interest (total) | 138 (as at 10am 4 October) |
| Tests | |
| Number of tests (total) | 3,450,152 |
| Number of tests processed (total last 24 hours) | 13,693 |
| Tests processed in Auckland (last 24 hours) | 7,420 |
| Tests rolling average (last 7 days) | 16,231 |
| Testing centres in Auckland | 21 |
| Wastewater | |
| Wastewater detections | No unexpected detections in the next 24 hours |
| COVID-19 vaccine update | |
| Vaccines administered to date (total) | 5,346,591; 1st doses: 3,328,286; 2nd doses: 2,018,305 |
| Vaccines administered yesterday (total) | 27,033; 1st doses: 7,041; 2nd doses: 19,992 |
| Māori | 501,189; 1st doses: 323,582; 2nd doses: 177,607 |
| Pacific Peoples | 335,541; 1st doses: 209,388; 2nd doses: 126,153 |
| Vaccines administered to Auckland residents to date (total) | 1,950,883; 1st doses: 1,206,138 (84%); 2nd doses: 744,745 (52%) |
| Vaccines administered to Auckland residents yesterday (total) | 12,923; 1st doses: 2,913; 2nd doses: 10,010 |
| NZ COVID-19 tracer | |
| Registered users (total) | 3,270,198 |
| Poster scans (total) | 404,898,830 |
| Manual diary entries (total) | 17,524,579 |
| Poster scans in 24 hours to midday yesterday | 2,121,669 |
New cases identified at the border
| Arrival date | From | Via | Positive test day/reason | Managed isolation/quarantine location |
| 29 September | United Kingdom | United Arab Emirates | Day 3 / routine | Auckland |
| 1 October | Vanuatu | Ship | Day 0 / detected at entry | In quarantine aboard ship |
*Today’s cases
A previously reported border related case, from Saturday, has been reclassified as not a case. They were reported in their home jurisdiction overseas, and the case has now been removed from our total case tally.
North Shore Hospital maternity ward case
Waitematā DHB has advised the Ministry of Health that late yesterday a nominated visitor to North Shore Hospital’s maternity ward tested positive for COVID-19. The baby and the baby’s mother were subsequently tested and the baby has returned a positive result, while the mother was negative.
The mother and baby had been in a single room in hospital – separated from other mothers and babies – for the duration of their care and the positive case visited them twice while potentially infectious. The mother and baby have now been relocated to a COVID-19 appropriate ward and safety protocols are in place.
A small number of staff who have potentially interacted with the visitor have been stood down as a precautionary measure while investigations continue and Waitematā DHB fully assesses the situation to determine if any other actions are required.
The Ministry’s thoughts are with this family at this stressful time.
COVID-19 case at Auckland City Hospital
A person who went to Auckland City Hospital’s Emergency Department yesterday and was admitted to intensive care for non-COVID-19 reasons, has tested positive for COVID-19.
Auckland DHB is working at pace with the Auckland Regional Public Health Service to investigate this case and identify any potential contacts.
The patient was separated appropriately on arrival at the ED as being at risk for COVID-19 and staff were wearing appropriate PPE including N95 masks. They had also previously visited the ED and returned a negative test on Saturday, so it is believed the infection has been identified early.
Auckland DHB advice is that patients and whānau who have been at Auckland City Hospital and in the ED do not need to take action unless they are contacted by public health officials.
Waikato, Palmerston North cases update
Overnight three household contacts of the Raglan case tested positive for COVID-19 – one of which is a newly identified household contact living on the property – and all have now been moved to an Auckland quarantine facility. These will be officially recorded in tomorrow’s case numbers.
Meanwhile, initial tests from all four close contacts associated with worksites of the Auckland-based truck driver, who is isolating in Palmerston North, have returned initial negative results.
Testing in Waikato
Waikato DHB advises there has been a strong response to calls for people in Hamilton with symptoms to get tested.
Yesterday, more than 600 swabs were taken across the testing centres at Founders and Claudelands in Hamilton, and around 150 swabs were taken at the pop-up testing site in Raglan.
It is important that testing facilities are available for priority groups, to help us determine whether there has been any undetected community spread of the virus.
So, if you are experiencing cold or flu-like symptoms, are following guidance relating to a location of interest, or have been directed by Healthline or your GP, please seek a test immediately.
Waikato DHB advises there is high demand at our community testing centres in Hamilton and Raglan. It is encouraging to see the local community taking care and seeking a test, but if you do not match the above criteria, please call Healthline on 0800 358 5453 or your GP for guidance before seeking a test.
Testing is available at a range of dedicated sites, including Founders Theatre (8am - 4.30pm), Claudelands Event Centre (8am - 8pm), Raglan Rugby Grounds (10am - 4.30pm), as well as GPs and designated GP practices (which do not require you to be enrolled as patient).
For COVID-19 testing locations nationwide, visit the Healthpoint website, which will include details of a new pop up testing site in Huntly, which is expected to be open from this afternoon.
The Ministry also urges people to regularly check the locations of interest on the Ministry’s website, which provides specific guidance for each location.
Anyone who is not symptomatic and has not visited a location of interest, does not need to get tested at this point.
Vaccinations remain steady, with more than 3,000 (3,082) vaccinations administered across the Waikato Region in the past 24 hours.
Around 426,925 vaccinations have been delivered across the Waikato region to date – that’s 264,224 first doses and 162,701 second doses. Around 71% of the region’s eligible population have had their first dose, and 42% are fully vaccinated
If you haven’t already been vaccinated, now is a good time. Please don’t put it off.
Whole genomic sequencing
Whole genome sequencing for the Raglan case and the Hamilton case have both been completed confirming both cases are linked and both cases are also linked to one of the sub clusters in Auckland.
For the Auckland based truck driver, currently in isolation in Palmerston North, whole genome sequencing is expected later today.
*Wastewater testing
There are no unexpected wastewater detections to report.
The virus that causes COVID-19 was not detected in wastewater samples taken from 14 Waikato sites between 23-30 September, which includes sampling in Hamilton which did not detect COVID-19 in samples taken on September 28 and 29.
Wastewater sample collection has been arranged from locations within the Waikato and Manawatū-Whanganui regions. This includes Raglan, Huntly, Te Kauwhata, Ngaruawahia, Feilding, Hunterville, Tooroa, Putaruru, Hamilton and Palmerston North.
Results of these are expected over the coming days, however the timing of the results depends on various factors including the sample arrival times and need to re-run tests.
Alert Level 3 boundary exemptions
With the change to alert levels in parts of Waikato, the Ministry will be processing personal travel exemptions from 7 o’clock tomorrow morning, in the same way we have been processing applications for Auckland personal travel exemptions
The criteria for personal travel exemptions into or out of the Waikato Alert Level 3 region will be the same as they currently are for the separate Auckland Alert Level region.
Two million second doses of vaccine
Today we’ve passed the two million mark for second doses of vaccine administered (2,018, 305). This is a really pleasing milestone and we want to reiterate our thanks to everyone who has so far had either their first, or final vaccination. Vaccination continues to be one of our strongest defences against COVID-19.
63 Comments
Does anyone want to have a guess what the 4pm decision will be for New Zealand/Auckland/Waikato?
I think politics is getting in the way of sensible decision making so I’m expecting:
South Island – Stay at Level 2 (they don’t give a stuff about the South Island).
Waikato - Level 3 widened, and for at least 5 days as this has the potential to spread. Expecting level 3 for about 4 weeks in total.
Auckland – Some cobbled together political version of ‘2.Delta’. Try to give the impression it is doing something for people who want freedom but tight enough to try and appease those who want more lockdown. A lose-lose situation.
I personally think Delta will not result in many hospitalisations. The UK is having about 600 hospitalised per day, (which equates to about 80 per day here) with a lot of Covid cases and is opening up the borders in a few weeks; https://dailysceptic.org/2021/10/03/more-than-40-countries-could-be-rem….
No country in the world has had their ICU's overwhelmed and that is why most countries, are opening up. In New Zealand, with about 1100 recent cases of Delta in the last outbreak, there is no evidence that anybody has died solely from Covid.
The UK currently has about 700 hospitalised per day, which would equate to around 50 a day here, population adjusted. A like for like comparison would be 10 deaths per day here.
However, the UK has also had 18 months worth of the virus already weeding out the obese and older people and much of its population already has natural immunity.
So I would be careful translating those figures to the population in New Zealand. We have a lot more obese people, a much more under-resourced health system and almost nobody here has natural immunity.
I would expect a larger proportion of hospitalisations and deaths here initially. But of course, it would be "transitory", so we can just "look through" it.
Aroha.
Sunchap
You really do need to critically evaluate the websites you push.
From the dailysceptic which you push above:
" A number of treatments have been used by clinicians around the world that appear to have some beneficial impact on treating COVID-19. Among the most promising are Ivermectin'.
This is BS and you know it.
Yes, following the 'in principle' decisions to reduce 2 weeks after the first level 4, then another week, extended, then another 2 weeks, extended, now another 3 weeks possibly, extended.
At the moment I'm running my businesses at a loss just to keep my staff employed. How long does Soviet NZ think I am willing or able to do that that. My patience was exhausted 5 week ago. If we don't see a reduction in levels tomorrow, I'll be starting the process of orderly redundancies. My businesses will survive, we can hire more people later, but this must be a conversation going on in the heads of many thousands of business owners in Auckland right now. My children literally cried tears of frustration yesterday, and I have kept them as busy and active as any parent could, I can't keep life in suspense for ever, someone has to pay for it, and I'm done juggling the governments chainsaws for them.
And there will be many, many more SME's having exactly the same thought process. And thought begats Intention, which begats Action. And like the Delta Iceberg, most of these thoughts are private, not communicated to anyone least if all media or pollies......
Then, unexpectedly, some will exit stage left.....
I am suspecting a change in the levels themselves. PM announced the announcement will be on the way forward as well.
Expect to see Levels A-D or something. Auckland will move from 3 to C which will be 3 but with kids at school or something.
Hamilton will stay in for a few days while they increase and review testing.
The rest of the country can go to hell as far as PM is concerned. They just aren't important.
Yes very shortly we are going to be told a deadline by which to vaccinate by and after this time all levels will be dropped. Maybe Level 3 for another week and after that time its pointless to remain in lockdown. If an 80% vaccination rate doesn't work then there is no point waiting for last last 5-10
% its time to open up.
Low testing numbers, new LOIs on the Shore again, people turning up at hospital and just testing positive with no Covid symptoms...
Look, we gave this a red hot go, but it's not working. Level 4 has been ruled out, so the only option on the table is L2.5 in the vague hope that might be able to pull one more L4 call if it gets really really out of hand.
This is a big assumption on my part, but those who go to hospitals when they get the cold or flu are generally lower socioeconomic groups. There is no way of catching this tail, and Aunty knows this. They are trying to ease the closet dwellers from under the blanket without losing votes at the next election.
Should be like that for everyone, not just Auckland. Arden should come out with a date and say 'Dec 1st, we will not go above level 2.5, go get your jab' etc etc. Its got to be at some point, unless we are all wanting to live for the next 2-3 years constantly bumping in and out of hard restrictions.
I do agree and would like to see vaccinations as high as practically possible. However people are also starting to lose their minds over the lockdown.
The age demographics for unvaccinated maori are interesting, the spinoff has a really good graphs post that updates daily and illustrates it. (https://thespinoff.co.nz/society/04-10-2021/the-spinoff-covid-tracker/ - towards the bottom of the page "Percentage of population with both doses - by age, ethnicity & DHB") This shows that over the age of 60 their vaccination rates are actually as good as the rest of the population. Over the age of 60 is really where the risk of death and hospitalisation takes off for the virus so I am honestly not that concerned about Maori under the age of 60. That is the lag that will make our overall national numbers look better but the reduction in actual risk will be minimal.
They will of course accelerate the movement of the virus through society being young mobile and unvaccinated, but does anyone at this point actually think elimination is feasible? I don't. How can we move towards endemic status with the least pain and social fragmentation is the question I would like to know (while also not stuffing around, people want to move on with their lives).
However, what this graph also points out to me, is that our vaccination rates for the over 60 are definitely Not Good Enough. This is our high risk population. WTF are that many of them doing unvaccinated. The country needs to address this asap!!
Got "exercise" at the "local" beach yesterday. It was hard to find a parking spot.
Lots of groups of people chatting without face nappies and refusing to live in fear.
Elimination is over. Nobody cares anymore. Jacinda knows it. She is going to pivot so fast it will make your head spin.
Cynical me thinks she will time her position change so as to be the 'saviour or xmas day!'
Womens weekly & NZ Heralds will call her 'Saint Ardern' and we will all henceforth celebrate Saint Ardern day on the 25th December.
That's just the cynical side of me mind you... The non-cynical side of me just wants to go skiing in Japan.
Thanks. Normally they say if they are unvaccinated. If vaccinated people are involved - silence.
It interesting to see what is happening globally - especially where there are high vaccination rates. They are getting 3rd dose now (some 4th dose!) and it is not really fixing the issue. Excuses, excuses ... now people are getting sick because ...they have been in lockdowns and their immune system deteriorated....
People keep mentioning this 3 or 4 jab thing but I've not been able to find info on this.
For example people often say Israel is doing some big social experiment re multi jabbing, though when I checked up (Reuters) they have only administered enough vaccines to effectively double-jab 85% of the population.
Just researching their health websites, they also seem to be on a level 2 variant, borders are more or less open (excl a few hot spots) and case numbers are decreasing. So seems to be working.
It's here. Vaccination rates in current outbreak cases. Updated daily. Also total hospitisation rates. Lower numbers over 65 infected. Their vaccine rates pre outbreak were higher. Likely part of the reason for low deaths.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/in-depth/450874/covid-19-data-visualisations…
Does it matter at this point in time?
6 weeks ago we were bottom of the global heap for vaccinations. We only ramped up once this outbreak hit. Even today we are only at 50% double vaccinated. In a month or two's time it will be interesting to know as you will be able to gain some insight, at this point it is only showing that the vaccine rollout was far too slow.
Someone should ask Jacinda how confident she is that Covid won't sneak out of Auckland into Northland. Is that border as leaky as Auckland's southern border? Are they planning on tightening it?
I'm predicting they move Auckland to L2 today, keeping the borders in place as they've already stated. The interesting thing will be the messaging. Surely they have a responsibility to tell people that it's out and about in the community in Auckland?
The mindset needs to switch from elimination to containment until we open up fully.
Making it easier for it to spread behind an Auckland border totally destroys any moral justification for still having one.
Either the border needs to be there to stop the spread and spread is bad, or spread is fine. Having community spread with a lower alert level and a hard border is trying to have your cake and eat it too.
I'd be shocked if we moved down alert levels, even into some 2.5 hybrid level. Given what happened yesterday with Hamilton, surely that shows the government is still jumpy with cases. I can't see how Bloomfield recommends a level drop for Auckland.
I agree with those who think we'll stay at the current alert level for another week or two, with a planned move to 2.5 after that.
As long as we get the roadmap today, I'm sick of the government not producing a clear medium to longer term plan. They need to be crystal clear on what is happening between now and Christmas.
Realistically, they've got until Labour weekend at the absolute latest for Auckland to get down to L2. At that point we're going to have checked out anyway. We've done far more than has been asked of any other region and there's no way there's enough buy-in left to go week-to-week until Xmas.
Frankly I suspect the conversation cabinet today is accepting that whatever they announce today, there's going to be a huge slump in compliance after 4pm no matter what they do.
What the Labour government is not telling people is whether there will be a job to go back to post COVID.
All COVID related handouts will eventually come to an end, the withdrawal be no less traumatic than the pandemic itself.
Prepare for longer queues at WINZ, more crime and more zombies on the streets.
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