Covid 19 Omicron outbreak: Hawke's Bay has 315 new cases of Covid

Hawke's Bay DHB is urging anyone with cold or flu-like symptoms to get tested. Photo / Paul Taylor

Hawke's Bay has 315 new Covid cases, bringing the region's active case tally to 1565.

The number was published on Thursday, and included 165 cases in Hastings, 118 in Napier, 21 in CHB and 9 in Wairoa.

One person remains in hospital with Covid-19.

The DHB urged anyone with any cold or flu-like symptoms to get a test.

RAT kits are available at drive-in testing locations with options for supervised or collect and go testing.

Symptomatic or household contacts of a positive case can now order RAT kits through the newly launched RAT requester site.

Requesting RATs on the Requester site is an easy step-by-step process. RATs can be requested on behalf of someone else.

You can also order the test kits from the website (requestrats.covid19.health.nz) or by ringing 0800 222 478 (option 3) from 8am to 8pm. People will need to have access to a mobile phone to validate their orders. You will be issued an order number.

For people who are not unwell or a household contact but want to get a RAT for other purposes, such as to visit an elderly relative, there are retail options now available, including the Chemist Warehouse and Countdown.

On Thursday, Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield announced 23,183 new community cases of Covid-19.

He said there were 503 people in hospital including seven in intensive care.

There were also 146,527 active cases of Covid-19 in the country, Bloomfield announced.

For hospitalisation rates, it was calculated by the number of people in hospital over case numbers.