Covid 19 Omicron: Bay of Plenty and Lakes District Health Board update

The total number of publicly reported Covid-19 deaths in New Zealand is now 175. Photo / Brett Phibbs

Nine new Covid-19 related deaths have been reported in New Zealand today, three of whom were from the Bay of Plenty, the Ministry of Health revealed.

It takes the total number of publically reported Covid deaths to 175 and the seven-day rolling average of reported deaths to nine.

Of the nine who died, three were from Bay of Plenty, one from Capital and Coast, four from Auckland and one from Waikato.

"Two of these people were in their 50s, two in their 70s, four in their 80s and one in their 90s. Eight were male and one was female," the ministry said.

In the Bay of Plenty District Health Board, 29 people with the virus are in hospital. In the Lakes DHB there are eight in hospital.

There were 804 new virus cases in the Bay of Plenty and 330 in Lakes.

Throughout the entire country, there were 12,020 new community cases.

There were also 957 total virus hospitalisations, the ministry revealed.

Elsewhere, following the identification of Covid-19 community transmission in Samoa on Thursday, travellers to New Zealand on four specific flights over the coming weeks are required to complete two rapid antigen tests after they arrive. The first on day 0/1 - within 36 hours of arriving - and the second on day 5/6 - between 120 and 144 hours after arriving.

The four flights are:

• March 19 - flight NZ993 to Auckland (already arrived).
• March 22 - flight NZ993 to Auckland.
• March 29 - flight NZ993 to Auckland.
• April 10 - flight NZ993 to Auckland.

Kits will be issued to travellers from Samoa on arrival.