Waikato Herald
  • Waikato Herald home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Rural
  • Lifestyle
  • Lotto results

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Lifestyle
  • Lotto results

Locations

  • Hamilton
  • Coromandel & Hauraki
  • Matamata & Piako
  • Cambridge
  • Te Awamutu
  • Tokoroa & South Waikato
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Weather

  • Thames
  • Hamilton
  • Tokoroa
  • Taumarunui
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Waikato News

Covid-19 Delta outbreak: School kids getting jabbed today, 16 community cases

NZ Herald
17 Jan, 2022 12:15 AM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

School children are getting their Covid-19 jabs from today while the Omicron variant continues to hover on New Zealand's doorstep. Video / NZ Herald

School children are getting their Covid-19 jabs from today while the highly transmissable Omicron variant continues to hover on New Zealand's doorstep.

There are 16 community cases of the virus today, the Ministry of Health has announced.

Today's new community cases are in Auckland, Lakes, Hawke's Bay, Wairarapa and the West Coast.

Thirty people are in hospital with the virus - two of which are in ICU.

A MIQ worker at the Stamford Plaza tested positive for Omicron on Friday and of the 67 close contacts linked them, 43 have already returned negative test results.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Further genome sequencing of the other positive returnee cases at the Stamford Plaza was also being completed.

In a statement released today, the ministry said the objective was to stamp out and prevent any onward transmission.

"With 93 per cent of the eligible population now double-dosed and the booster programme under way, New Zealanders are well protected."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

We want vaccinations to continue to increase and ask everyone who is eligible to get vaccinated, they said.

As Omicron continues to spread like wildfire overseas, Cabinet will meet this week to consider the latest advice from health officials to ensure New Zealand is prepared for when it makes its way into the community.

It will also receive advice on the country's traffic light settings this week and will make an announcement on Thursday.

Meanwhile Northland remains in the red traffic light setting, while the rest of the country is in orange.

The Auckland boundary - which previously meant people who were vaccinated or who had a recent negative Covid test could cross - also opened up to everyone today.

It comes as some experts are warning more restrictions are needed to ensure a larger part of the population has its booster shots before Omicron spreads into the community.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said yesterday that the Government's next steps would be cautious, although she did not say whether caution meant remaining at the orange setting or moving the country down to green.

Ardern said Omicron cases in the community were inevitable and urged people to get their booster shots as soon as they were eligible.

She is getting her third jab today.

Anyone over the age of 18 can now book their booster shots using BookMyVaccine.nz or by calling the COVID Vaccination Healthline or visiting a walk-in clinic.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield said the Ministry of Health recently reduced the interval between the second dose and a booster dose from six months to four months to help accelerate the rollout and provide greater protection against the Omicron variant.

The Ministry of Health has also updated its booster advice for pregnant people and those who are severely immunocompromised, saying it can be given at least four months after the second dose and at any stage during the pregnancy.

"We are urging everyone to receive their booster dose as soon as four months has passed following their second dose. Even if it's been less than four months since your second dose, you can still book ahead to ensure you get the date and time you prefer, once you're eligible."

More than 82 per cent of vaccinated New Zealanders will be eligible for a booster by the end of February.

About a third of the 65 new border cases reported last Wednesday were staying in Auckland's Stamford Plaza facility - the same hotel where the latest community case worked. The vast majority of the cases were the highly-transmissible Omicron variant.

Auckland Regional Public Health is working with MIQ staff to look for any possible routes of transmission between the returnees and the worker and staff at this facility are in the process of having an additional test arranged.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Ministry of Health data shows the majority of cases popping up at the border are the Omicron variant with 266 cases detected in MIQ since December 1.

Meanwhile new locations of interest continue to pop up around the country with Pine Haven Orchards in Greytown and Community meeting Waihou Community Hall in Waihou both being listed earlier today.

Anyone at these locations must self-monitor for Covid-19 symptoms for 10 days after they were exposed.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Waikato News

Waikato Herald

Man accused of hit-and-run manslaughter appears in court

26 Jun 03:53 AM
Waikato Herald

Second person charged after deaf and blind man's death in alleged hit-and-run

25 Jun 10:59 PM
Sport

Super Rugby Pacific sees viewership increase

25 Jun 08:25 PM

Kaibosh gets a clean-energy boost in the fight against food waste

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Waikato News

Man accused of hit-and-run manslaughter appears in court
Waikato Herald

Man accused of hit-and-run manslaughter appears in court

26 Jun 03:53 AM

Riki Ronald Edward Lum appeared in the Hamilton District Court today.

Second person charged after deaf and blind man's death in alleged hit-and-run
Waikato Herald

Second person charged after deaf and blind man's death in alleged hit-and-run

25 Jun 10:59 PM
Super Rugby Pacific sees viewership increase

Super Rugby Pacific sees viewership increase

25 Jun 08:25 PM
Feral goats' days numbered in 'unique' conservation park
Waikato Herald

Feral goats' days numbered in 'unique' conservation park

25 Jun 07:40 PM
Engage and explore one of the most remote places on Earth in comfort and style
sponsored

Engage and explore one of the most remote places on Earth in comfort and style

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Waikato Herald e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Waikato Herald
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP