Covid 19 Delta outbreak: Auckland moves to top 5 in vaccination, Dunedin number one

Dunedin City continues to lead the way on Covid-19 vaccination while Auckland is steadily climbing its way up the ranks.

New data from the Ministry of Health shows 69 per cent of residents are fully vaccinated, with Marlborough trailing slightly behind with 68 per cent as at Tuesday.

The figures for Dunedin City are up nearly 10 per cent from 59.6 per cent last Thursday.

It's the latest update in the New Zealand Herald's "Top Town" initiative as part of our vaccination campaign - The 90% Project - which aims to get 90 per cent of eligible Kiwis fully vaccinated by Christmas.

(Please note the interactive above will update automatically when new data is released.)

Aucklanders appear to be doing something right after jumping up a spot landing the city in fifth place.

63.4 per cent of residents are fully vaccinated, putting the city narrowly ahead of the Kāpiti Coast with 63.2 per cent.

Queenstown and Timaru have made it into the top 10 with Wellington, Western Bay of Plenty and Palmerston North all making major gains in the race.

The South Island still continues to dominate the rankings, making up the other four places in the top five.

At the beginning of the "Top Town" initiative two weeks ago, The City of Sails was sitting in 19th place with just 47 per cent fully vaccinated.

It follows a recent nationwide push for vaccination with mobile and drop-in clinics popping up all over the country.

Waipareira staff member Lorraine Peri spreading the vaccination word at Parrs Park in Henderson. Photo / Dean Purcell.

On Monday, Auckland University epidemiologist Rod Jackson told the Herald he was no longer optimistic that Delta could be stamped out.

"I'm not convinced we'll stamp it out in Auckland anymore and it's not because it's not possible. It's just that people are behaving badly as we've seen, the people going south to people going north, we're not going to stamp it out. So, we're now into heavy suppression, until we get vaccinated. I think it's a race against time now."

He urged people to get vaccinated the next day.

"That's why I was disappointed that they didn't go hard enough [today]. We need a much wider mandate from the Government in terms of vaccinations; we needed that mandate for businesses. We have to go really hard, we have to go really fast. You know, my message is go and do it tomorrow. Don't wait until next week or next month.