Covid 19 Omicron outbreak: 18 new virus cases in Whanganui DHB region

Close to 1000 people have been tested across the Whanganui DHB region in the last week. Photo / Bevan Conley

The Ministry of Health announced an additional 18 cases of Covid-19 in the Whanganui District Health Board region on Friday.

The total number of active cases is 91.

More than a third of those cases are in Whanganui district, which has 38 active cases.

Elsewhere across the region, Marton has 31 cases, Bulls has two cases and Waiouru has one case.

Nineteen of the cases are yet to be assigned locations as they were likely tested outside the Whanganui DHB region.

Of the cases confirmed on Friday, 13 were detected via PCR tests and five by RATs.

The ministry says its daily reported case numbers may differ slightly from those reported at a DHB or local public health unit level.

Nationally, there were 12,011 new community cases, with 237 people in hospital.

Testing numbers across the Whanganui DHB have been steady this week as cases around the country continue to climb.

Last Saturday and Sunday, 293 people were tested.

From Monday to Thursday this week, 649 were tested across the Whanganui DHB region.

Monday was the busiest day, with 177 people getting tested.