NZ Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern in Christchurch today. [Source: George Heard via NZ Herald]

There are 198 new cases of COVID-19 in the community today, including 152 in Auckland and 30 in the Waikato.

New cases have also been confirmed in Northland, the Bay of Plenty, Wairarapa and Canterbury, and a weak positive case has been recorded in Wellington.

A case announced yesterday in the Bay of Plenty was officially added to today’s figures.

There are 76 people in hospital and six in intensive care units. The average age of people with Covid-19 is 50.

The Ministry of Health confirmed that a woman in her 80s who died yesterday at Middlemore Hospital was a resident of Edmonton Meadows Care Home in West Auckland.

The Ministry voiced its condolences to the woman’s family and friends.

More than 20,000 people were vaccinated yesterday. Most of those were second doses and 6,635 first doses were administered.

A weak positive result has been returned from a person in Wellington but it is under investigation because the viral load is low.

The case is an essential worker from Auckland working in the city. The result could indicate a historical case or a case in the earlier stages of infection, the Ministry said. The worker is having a repeat test today and follow-up with the workplace includes tests of co-workers.

The person, a construction worker, was working on the Omāroro Reservoir project in Wellington and the site has been temporarily closed.

The new 35 million litre Omāroro reservoir will more than double the city’s water storage. The project is being delivered by HEB Construction.

A HEB Construction spokeswoman confirmed the company was notified by the Ministry of Health last night of the weak positive test result. The person was not symptomatic and is double vaccinated.