39 community cases of COVID-19; two border cases; more than 63,000 vaccines doses administered yesterday

Source: New Zealand Ministry of Health

Cases  

• Number of new community cases*: 39
• Number of new cases identified at the border: Two
• Location of new community cases: Auckland (30); Waikato (9)
• Location of community cases (total): Auckland (including five cases in Upper Hauraki) 1,385 (1,068 recovered); Waikato 18 (all active); Wellington 17 (all recovered)
• Number of community cases (total): 1,420 (in the current community outbreak)
• Cases infectious in the community: 19 of yesterday’s 24 cases have exposure events
• Cases in isolation throughout the period they were infectious: 5 of yesterday’s 24 cases
• Cases epidemiologically linked: 38 of today’s 39 cases are linked 
• Cases to be epidemiologically linked: One of today’s 39 cases. Investigations are continuing to determine a link.
• Cases epidemiologically linked (total): 1,383 (in the current cluster) (15 unlinked from the past fortnight).
• Number of sub-clusters: 15 epidemiologically linked subclusters. Of these, seven are active, one is contained and seven are dormant. There are 14 epidemiologically unlinked subclusters. Of these, five are active, one is contained and eight are dormant.
• Cases in hospital: 32 (total): North Shore (2) Middlemore (15); Auckland (14); Waikato (1)
• Cases in ICU or HDU: Seven
• Confirmed cases (total) 4,092 since pandemic began.
• Historical cases, since 1 Jan 2021 (total) **: 166 out of 2,276 since 1 Jan 2021

Contacts  

• Number of open contacts being managed (total):: 1,410
• Percentage who have received an outbound call from contact tracers (to confirm testing and isolation requirements): 82%
• Percentage with at least one test result: 79%

Locations of interest  

• Locations of interest (total): 160 (as at 10am 5 October)

Tests  

• Number of tests (total): 3,489,770
• Number of tests processed (total last 24 hours): 24,714
• Number of tests taken in Auckland (last 24 hours): 13,331
• Tests rolling average (last 7 days): 18,263
• Testing centres in Auckland: 22

Wastewater  

• Wastewater detections ***: No unexpected detections in the past 24 hours

COVID-19 vaccine update  

• Vaccines administered to date (total): 5,467,111; 1st doses: 3,361,425 2nd doses: 2,105,686  
• Vaccines administered yesterday (total): 63,624; 1st doses: 17,592; 2nd doses: 46,032
• Mâori: 1st doses: 329,208 2nd doses: 186,632
• Pacific Peoples: 1st doses: 212,208; 2nd doses: 131,120
• Vaccines administered to Auckland residents to date (total): 1,993,927 1st doses: 1,216,661 (85%); 2nd doses: 777,266 (54%)
• Vaccines administered to Auckland residents yesterday (total): 22,180; 1st doses: 5,562 2nd doses: 16,618

NZ COVID-19 tracer  

• Registered users (total): 3,276,018
• Poster scans (total): 409,594,785
• Manual diary entries (total): 17,665,545
• Poster scans in 24 hours to midday yesterday: 2,311,892

New cases identified at the border 

Death at Middlemore

The Ministry of Health is sadly reporting the death of a patient at Middlemore Hospital. Further details will be available later today after discussions with their family. The Ministry would like to recognise the family’s loss and offer our deepest sympathies.

Waikato ED exposure

A patient who visited the Emergency Department at Waikato Hospital last Friday night has now tested positive for COVID-19.

The asymptomatic patient was screened when they entered ED by staff who were following Alert Level 2 Infection, Prevention and Control protocols.

In a cautious approach the DHB has temporarily stood down a number of ED staff who are self-isolating.

Results from rapid PCR tests are expected today.

Waikato testing

There are five pop up testing sites operating in Hamilton, Raglan, Huntly and Tokoroa, with all five being open for extended hours to cater to any lift in demand.

An existing site at Founders Theatre car park in Hamilton remains open.

The DHB is working to establish a sixth pop up testing site, at Karapiro, following the positive case there. An existing testing provider in Kawhia has been expanded. More details on exact locations and hours are available on the Healthpoint and Waikato DHB sites.

Demand for testing has been steady and there are good supplies of testing kits and staffing capacity.

Vaccine – gap between doses

In response to the ongoing Delta outbreak the Ministry of Health is advising New Zealanders to consider a shorter gap between doses of the Pfizer vaccine than the current standard of six weeks.

Reducing the gap between doses to at least three weeks means more people can be fully vaccinated sooner, increasing our community immunity. The two doses of the Pfizer vaccine must be given at least three weeks apart.

In August the standard gap between first and second doses of the Pfizer vaccine was extended from three weeks to six weeks to allow us to give one dose (partial protection) to a larger number of people faster.

Since that time the Delta outbreak has increased the risk of contracting COVID-19 for everyone in New Zealand and increased the urgency for people to be vaccinated as soon as possible.

Auckland suburbs of interest

People without symptoms are asked to get tested if they live in any of the eight suburbs of interest.

The current suburbs of interest are:  

• Clover Park
• Mângere  
• Favona  
• Manurewa
• Mount Wellington/Sylvia Park
• Henderson
• Papakura
• Red Beach

*Today’s cases 

Includes one previously reported Waikato case that has been reclassified from recovered to active. The recently reported Upper Hauraki case is now included in the Auckland figures. There is one further case in a border worker that is yet to be classified as community or border related.

**Historical cases

One previously reported case has been reclassified as historical

***Wastewater testing

Samples taken from Taupo and Putaruru on Monday 6 October in the Waikato region did not detect COVID-19.

Several other samples have been taken from throughout New Zealand. These include those collected from Te Kauwhata, Raglan, Ngaruawahia, Huntly, Feilding, Hunterville, Hamilton and Palmerston North. Results are expected tomorrow.

MIL OSI