Covid 19 Omicron outbreak: Further Covid-related deaths in region, big vaccine push in BOP

The Ministry of Health has reported 17 Covid-related deaths today, including one each in the Lakes and Bay of Plenty District Health Board regions.

These deaths take the total number of publicly reported deaths with Covid-19 to 355 and the 7-day rolling average of reported deaths is 17.

Of these 17 people who have died, seven were from the Auckland region, two from Waikato, one from Bay of Plenty, one from Lakes DHB, one from Hawke's Bay, one from the Wellington region, one from Canterbury, one from the West Coast, and two from Southern.

Two people were in their 50s, four people were in their 60s, five people were in their 70s, three in their 80s and three were over-90.

Fifteen were male and two were female.

There are 27 patients with Covid-19 in Bay of Plenty District Health Board hospitals and 17 in Rotorua Hospital.

There are 688 new cases in the Bay of Plenty District Health Board area and 355 in the Lakes District Health Board area.

These include both PCR and RATs tests.

Toi Te Ora-Public Health today reported 370 new cases in Tauranga City, 246 in Rotorua District, 135 in Western Bay of Plenty, 133 in Whakatane District, 23 in Kawerau, 27 in Ōpōtiki and 109 in Taupō.

There are currently 5621 active cases in the Bay of Plenty DHB area and 2673 in Lakes.

Toi Te Ora said with differences in reporting systems, report timeframes, and as case information was updated there may be some discrepancies in numbers such as with Ministry of Health data.

There are 13,475 new community cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand today, the Ministry of Health reported

There are 764 people in hospital, including 31 in intensive care.

Big vaccination push in Bay of Plenty

It will be a big weekend for the Bay of Plenty, with a host of iwi-led COVID-19 vaccination events right across the rohe, supported by the local DHB.

Tomorrow there will be tamariki-focused events in Katikati, Tauranga, Te Puke, Kawerau, Ōpōtiki and Whakatāne. Tauranga and Whakatāne will have events on Sunday as well.

Parents and whānau can also take the opportunity to get vaccinated alongside the kids.

There will be kai, stress free spaces, and activities for everyone. Find out when and where here.

Cabinet to review settings

On Monday, Cabinet will be deciding whether to shift the country - or select regions - from red to orange settings, which will increase the number of people who can gather indoors.

In recent days Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins indicated he was yet to have "a firm leaning" for Monday's review of traffic light settings.

"We'll be following closely the public health advice we get over the weekend."

The main difference between red and orange was the size of indoor gatherings, he said. There is no limit under orange.

"The main thing we're all looking for is where we're at in terms of the overall peak."

In some parts of the country, case numbers were continuing to trend up, he said.

He wouldn't be drawn on Auckland's chances of moving to orange, having already passed its Omicron peak.