Covid-19: 51 new community cases

Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield.

There are 51 new community cases today; 47 are in Auckland and four are in the Waikato.

As at 9am today, 28 of these cases are linked, of whom 18 are household contacts, and 23 remain unlinked with investigations continuing to help determine their connection to the current outbreak. 

Super Saturday

Super Saturday provided a huge boost to New Zealand's response to Covid-19, with a record-breaking 130,002 people putting their arms out for vaccinations yesterday, says Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield.

'People across the motu embraced Super Saturday like their communities' lives depended on it. It was inspiring to witness as we know the Covid-19 vaccine is key to our efforts to control the virus.

'Auckland did incredibly well with its biggest ever vaccination day and I congratulate and thank everyone there who stepped forward to protect themselves, their whānau and their community – 41,081 people were vaccinated there yesterday, including 9,039 first doses and 32,042 second doses.

'They've hit 89 per cent of their eligible population who have had their first dose and are tantalisingly close to reaching 90 per cent. I continue to urge everyone in Auckland who hasn't received their first vaccination to get vaccinated as soon as possible. And remember, we're not stopping at 90% - the higher, the better for everyone.”

At the start of yesterday, 29,399 more people in Auckland were needed to get their first dose to reach 90 per cent, that target is only 20,360 short.

Over the past week, Auckland averaged about 4000 first doses daily so NZ is on track to reach that milestone this week.

A more detailed breakdown of the vaccination data by District Health Board will be released shortly.

Cases
Number of new community cases 51
Number of new cases identified at the border Two
Location of new community cases Auckland (47) Waikato (4)
Location of community cases (total)* Auckland 1,886 (1,303 of whom have recovered); Waikato 42 (2 of whom have recovered); Wellington 17 (all of whom have recovered)
Number of community cases (total) 1,945 (in current community outbreak)
Cases infectious in the community 19 of yesterday's 41 cases have exposure events
Cases in isolation throughout the period they were infectious 22 of yesterday's 41 cases
Cases epidemiologically linked 28 of today's 51 cases
Cases to be epidemiologically linked 23 of today's 51 cases
Cases epidemiologically linked (total) 1,795 (in the current cluster) (127 unlinked from the past 14 days)
Cases in hospital 29 (total): North Shore (4); Middlemore (14); Auckland (11)
Cases in ICU or HDU Five
Confirmed cases (total) 4,632 since pandemic began
Historical cases, since 1 Jan 2021 (total) 171 out of 2,817 since 1 Jan 2021
Contacts
Number of active contacts being managed (total): 1973
Percentage who have received an outbound call from contact tracers (to confirm testing and isolation requirements) 84%
Percentage with at least one test result 75%
Locations of interest
Locations of interest (total) 447 (as at 10am 17 October)
Tests
Number of tests (total) 3,752,266
Number of tests total (last 24 hours) 26,667
Tests processed in Auckland (last 24 hours) 8,895
Tests rolling average (last 7 days) 23,575
Testing centres in Auckland 17
Wastewater
Wastewater detections** See below
COVID-19 vaccine update
Vaccines administered to date (total) 6,314,182; 1st doses: 3,565,822 (85%); 2nd doses: 2,748,360 (65%)
Vaccines administered yesterday (total) 130,002; 1st doses: 39,025; 2nd doses: 90,977
Māori 1st doses: 375,387 (66%); 2nd doses: 252,419 (44%)
Pacific Peoples 1st doses: 229,483 (80%); 2nd doses: 168,177 (59%)
Vaccines administered to Auckland residents to date (total) 2,282,830: 1st doses: 1,269,236 (89%); 2nd doses: 1,013,594 (71%)
Vaccines administered to Auckland residents yesterday (total) 41,081: 1st doses: 9,039, 2nd doses: 32,042
NZ COVID Tracer
Registered users (total) 3,303,543
Poster scans (total) 436,073,883
Manual diary entries (total) 18,429,641
Poster scans in 24 hours to midday yesterday 2,553,481


*One previously reported case has been reclassified as ‘not a case'.

New cases identified at the border

Arrival date From Via Positive test day/reason Managed isolation/quarantine location
13 October Awaiting full travel history Qatar/Australia Day 3 / routine Auckland
11 October USA Direct Day 3 / routine Auckland

Waikato update

Four new cases were confirmed in the Waikato overnight, says a statement from the Ministry of Health.

"Two cases (one in Hamilton and one in Raglan) were known contacts of existing cases, including one individual who was already in managed isolation.

"Investigations are underway to determine how the other two cases are connected to the current outbreak."

One lives in Hamilton and the other has an address in Kihikihi. It is possible that the Kihikihi case is the source of the wastewater detections in Te Awamutu, however this has not yet been confirmed.

Waikato DHB is continuing to carry out regionwide testing and we are encouraging anyone with symptoms to get tested – particularly for residents of Raglan, Te Awamutu and Kihikihi.

Testing will be available tomorrow in Kihikihi.

The location of testing sites available today in the Waikato are below, and are also available on the Healthpoint website and the Waikato DHB website.

Pop-up testing site Te Awamutu
Te Awamutu Event Centre carpark, Gorst Avenue, Te Awamutu
Sunday 11-5pm

Pop-up testing site Hamilton
Te Kohao Health, 951 Wairere Drive, Hamilton East
7 days - 10am - 4pm

Claudelands Event Centre, Gate 3 Brooklyn Rd
Thursday 14 - Sunday 17 October 10am - 6pm

Pop-up testing site Raglan
Raglan Area School, Norrie Ave, Raglan
Thursday 14 - Sunday 17 October - 10am - 1pm

"Super Saturday was a big success in the Waikato with 10,088 people getting out to be vaccinated," says an MOH spokesperson.

"Of those people, 3887 received their first dose and 6201 their second dose. There were 6080 swabs taken for testing around the region."

**Wastewater

Following two positive detections in wastewater samples in Wellsford, it can be confirmed that there is one household in the area with cases, says the MOH.

"Wellsford residents are urged to remain vigilant and get tested if they have any symptoms.

"There is a pop-up community testing centre open today at Warkworth until 4pm – please call ahead to book your test. Covid-19 testing is also available at general practice and urgent care clinics.

"A pop-up testing centre will be operating in Kaiwaka from 10am to 5pm from tomorrow."

For other testing locations, visit the Healthpoint website.

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