Covid 19 Omicron outbreak: Five new cases in Northland, three linked to Omicron

Circumstances around today's new five Covid cases - of which three are linked to Omicron - have been revised by the Northland District Health Board.

The health board originally reported four of the cases as being Omicron and based in Kerikeri.

However, clarified information released on Tuesday evening stated there was a case in the Bay of Islands - linked to Omicron.

Three cases were based in Kerikeri. Of which, two were linked to Omicron and only one had been in isolation prior to testing positive.

Information around the fifth case - a Delta case in Whangārei who had been in isolation - remained unchanged from earlier reporting.

There are 21 active cases in Northland from a total number of 135 confirmed cases, none of whom are in hospital.

So far, 114 people have been released from isolation.

The health board said there had been one new wastewater notification in Rawene.

Overall, there had been 126 new community cases recorded across the country. They were based in Northland (5), Auckland (84), Waikato (20), Lakes (1), Bay of Plenty (8), Tairāwhiti (2), Taranaki (1), Hawke's Bay (2), Wellington, Nelson Marlborough and Canterbury.

Seventy-nine cases were detected at the border, the ministry said in its 1pm statement.

As the Omicron variant has now become the "dominant" strain, the ministry says it will no longer be publicly advising the case variant in its updates.

Countdown Whangārei shoppers at the supermarket the same time a Covid case visited no longer have to self-isolate.

The store in Okara Park was originally listed as a "high risk" location of interest but this has since been downgraded by the Ministry of Health.

People who visited Countdown Whangārei at Okara Park on Tuesday, January 25, between 7.30pm and 8pm are now asked to monitor their symptoms for 10 days after exposure.

If symptoms develop, people are asked to get a test and stay at home until they return a negative result.

Wainui Marae, near Kāeo in the Far North, has been classed as a high-risk location of interest despite whole genome sequencing being unable to confirm the variant.

Anyone who attended the marae from 11am on January 21 to 3pm on January 23 is asked to self-isolate, get tested immediately and again on day five after the exposure event.

The two Northland locations were among six notified by the Ministry of Health on Tuesday.

People who visited the other locations of interest are asked to monitor for symptoms.

The locations include: Casablanca Motel Whangārei from January 25, 7am to January 27, 9pm; Turkuaz Cafe Whangārei on Tuesday, January 25, 7pm-8.30pm; Countdown Regent on Wednesday, January 26, 8am-8.50am; and New World Kerikeri on Saturday, January 29, 12.58pm-1.15pm.

Times for two locations of interest that have been previously notified were also updated: Michael Hill Jewellers Whangārei on Monday, January 24, 12.16pm-12.30pm; and the Fruit and Vege Warehouse Whangārei on Wednesday, January 26, 4.54pm-5pm.