[Source: RNZ]

The Ministry of Health is reporting 23,894 new cases of COVID-19, with 9881 in Auckland.

At the 1pm COVID-19 update, Director of Public Health Dr Caroline McElnay says Aucklanders yesterday recorded their highest number of rapid antigen results ever, 43,735 – some 25 percent higher than the previous highest day, last Monday.

She says there are 756 people in hospital with COVID-19. The actual number of cases in the community is expected to be considerably higher, but this is hard to gauge when using rapid antigen testing as the primary test. This is why the ministry is focusing on hospitalisations.

Hospitalised numbers in Auckland are about the same as they were yesterday, McElnay says, and ICU numbers are also similar to yesterday. The DHBs report continued pressure on staffing, particularly with cover through the night, she says, but occupancy levels remain managable.

She says the lesser severity in comparison to the Delta outbreak is strongly related to the highly vaccinated status of the New Zealand population.

Hospitals are being impacted by the number of cases, with doctors at Middlemore stepping in to cover nursing shifts, and services in Hawke’s Bay being reduced.

People are also facing difficulties getting access to rapid antigen tests (RATs) in some areas, including on the Kāpiti Coast. The ministry has said it aimed to ensure 90 percent of people across New Zealand could access a test within a 20-minute drive.