Covid-19 Omicron outbreak: 68 new cases in Whanganui DHB region on Sunday; one death reported on Saturday

Te Rito, Whanganui's main vaccination clinic, can be found at 133 Wicksteed St. Photo / Bevan Conley

The Whanganui District Health Board region had 68 new cases of Covid-19 on Sunday, bringing the number of current active cases to 871.

On Saturday the Whanganui DHB reported one Covid-related death in the region.

The Ministry of Health reported on Sunday there were 5662 new community cases, 490 hospitalisations and nine deaths throughout the country.

New Zealand's total number of publicly reported deaths with Covid-19 now stands at 674.

There were five Whanganui cases in hospital on Sunday - two with Covid-19 and three being treated for Covid-19.

The new cases were in Whanganui (41), Ruapehu (8) and Rangitīkei (19), the DHB said.

South Taranaki (from Whanganui to the Pātea River) had 34 new cases.

As of April 22, 90.4 per cent of the Whanganui DHB region's population aged 12 and over has received two doses of the Covid-19 vaccine.

For those aged 5 to 11, the number is 15.9 per cent.

Booster shots have been administered to 73.1 per cent of those eligible.

The country's first known detection of the Omicron XE variant was reported on Saturday.

The Ministry of Health says its daily reported cases may differ slightly from those reported at a DHB or local public health unit level.

This is because of different reporting cut-off times and the assignment of cases between regions, for example when a case is tested outside their region of residence.