Numbers here reflect fifth wave of Covid

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

Covid-19 numbers are up in Tairāwhiti with 74 active cases, as the country experiences a “fifth wave” of the virus.

The latest official figures, for the week up to midnight last Sunday, showed 5942 cases were recorded across the nation.

Health officials say cases of the virus are expected to peak just before Christmas, as the new wave shows a surge in infections.

There were 27 deaths recorded during last week — none in Tairāwhiti —taking the national death toll to 3502.

Tairāwhiti total deaths remain at 39.

There have been 2,497,753 cases of Covid in New Zealand including 25,484 in Tairāwhiti.

Of the 27 people whose deaths were reported last week, nine were from Auckland, one from Waikato, one from Tauranga, two from Hawke’s Bay, two from Manawatu, one from Wellington, one from Nelson-Marlborough, five from Canterbury, one from West Coast and four were from Otago-Southland.

Two were aged in their 60s, two were in their 70s, 13 were in their 80s and ten were aged over 90. Of these people, 13 were women and 14 were men.