Covid 19 Omicron update: 35 new community cases in Whanganui region

The Ministry of Health reported 35 new community cases of Covid-19 in the Whanganui region. Photo / Bevan Conley

There are 35 new community cases of Covid-19 in the Whanganui region, the Ministry of Health reported on Sunday.

It is the lowest number of new daily cases since February 27 when 37 cases were recorded.

There are six people in Whanganui Hospital with Covid-19.

Nationally, there were 3302 new community cases reported on Sunday.

Throughout the country, there are 606 people in hospital with the virus, 16 of whom are in intensive care.

The ministry reported 18 Covid-related deaths around the country.

A New Zealand Herald analysis showed Covid-19 was responsible for one in seven recent deaths in New Zealand and had already claimed five times as many lives as car accidents last year.

The analysis showed in the week ending July 17 – around the time the second Omicron wave peaked – 836 people died across New Zealand.

Of those deaths, 120 - nearly 15 per cent - were directly attributed to Covid-19.

Otago University epidemiologist Professor Michael Baker said this meant Covid-19 had probably become the leading cause of death in New Zealand.

"Fifteen per cent of people dying from Covid-19 is about the same proportion of people who die from ischaemic heart disease, which is currently our single biggest killer.

"It's also twice the number dying from stroke, which has long been number two."

According to newly-updated Ministry of Health data, most of the virus-related deaths it's reported have been confirmed to be wholly or partially attributed to Covid-19.

As of Friday, some 1638 of a total 2423 reported deaths had been formally attributed to Covid-19.

In two-thirds of those cases, the virus was listed as the underlying cause.

Covid-19 modeller Professor Michael Plank said while death rates would reduce as the Omicron wave subsided, it was likely the country would record 2000 deaths by the year's end.

If 2000 Covid-related deaths were recorded, it would be more than six times the number of people killed on New Zealand roads last year, and also greater than the annual toll of lung cancer.

Going forward, Plank expected Covid-19 to remain a "significant contributor to overall mortality."

Baker said at the point where the country was seeing the highest mortality rate of the pandemic thus far, it was paradoxical how public attention had appeared to drop too low levels.

Consumer NZ's Sentiment Tracker showed a quarter of respondents found Covid-19 to be their most concerning issue, well behind housing and the cost of living.

"Of course, we all want to move on from it - but while we might be finished with the pandemic, the pandemic hasn't finished with us," Baker said.