Part of Waikato is joining Auckland in alert level 3; at least one testing station in the region couldn't cope with demand; Air New Zealand announces a 'no jab, no fly' policy and there are 33 new community cases.
Part of Waikato including Hamilton is heading to level 3; Air New Zealand will insist on full vaccinations for international flights; a Hamilton testing centre is overwhelmed and more encouragement to get vaccinated. Photo: 123RF/ AFP/ RNZ
The numbers
- 33 new community cases reported today with 15 still to be linked to earlier cases
- 2 new cases detected in Raglan and Hamilton East in Waikato
- 26 people are in hospital, including one in Waikato; 3 people are in intensive care
- Locations of interest now extend from Auckland south to Taihape
- 1328 cases in current Delta outbreak
- 50,067 doses of vaccine administered yesterday
Parts of Waikato have been placed into a snap lockdown with two Covid-19 cases detected - a person in their 40s and one in their 50s.
Hamilton and Raglan will move to level three at 11.59pm today.
The lockdown will cover Raglan, Te Kauwhata, Huntly, Ngāruawāhia and Hamilton City based on the city's boundary and follows the discovery of a case in Raglan and another in Hamilton East.
Both people know each other, but health officials are yet to establish a link to the Auckland outbreak. Urgent genome sequencing is underway.
Spot checks will be carried out but Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said there are too many feeder roads for it to be a hard border similar to Auckland's.
She said Cabinet intends for level 3 restrictions to apply in Waikato for the next five days, which gives authorities the opportunity to contact trace and widely test. The restrictions will then be assessed.
Testing station unable to cope with demand
People were turned away from a Covid-19 testing centre at Claudelands Park in Hamilton this afternoon, despite being urged by Jacinda Ardern and Dr Ashley Bloomfield to get tested following the new outbreak.
The testing station became overwhelmed with people wanting to be tested, an RNZ reporter said.
She said when she visited there were about 150 cars in the car park and traffic was backing up onto a nearby road.
The Waikato District Health Board said people were being turned away to free up space for those with symptoms or who have visited places of interest.
The DHB said those who are well and have not been in contact with a positive case should instead contact Healthline or their GP.
However, by early evening no locations of interest for Waikato had been uploaded to the Health Ministry's website today.
Negative tests
The Ministry of Health said this evening that all initial tests from household members of the Hamilton East and Palmerston North Covid-19 cases have come back negative.
These are from two household members of the Auckland-based truck driver who is isolating in Palmerston North, and eight household members from the case in Hamilton East.
The results of three household members of the Raglan case, who have now all been moved to an Auckland quarantine facility, are expected back later tonight and will be announced tomorrow.
Cabinet decision
Cabinet is due to meet tomorrow to discuss a possible move for Auckland from level 3 to 2 although the prime minister has made it clear that borders would remain in place around the city.
She said the decision for moving Auckland's level will be made independently of the need to switch Waikato to level 3.
Renewed appeal for vaccinations
The government says today's decision affecting parts of Waikato is driven by low vaccination rates.
The two Waikato cases and another announced last night - a truck driver who travelled from Auckland to Palmerston North for work - had not been vaccinated.
"Vaccination makes a difference, it keeps people safe," the prime minister said.
"If we had a vaccination rate of 90 percent or above in either Hamilton or Raglan it is highly unlikely we would be here today announcing level 3 restrictions.
"Instead we would be able to rely on other tools like contact tracing and much lower level public health measures but while we are vaccinating we have fewer choices in how to react to cases."
Hamilton Mayor Paula Southgate also said the region's vaccination rate was too low and that was the reason they had to go into the lockdown.
By yesterday more than 5,300,000 vaccine doses had been administered; 3.3 million people have received one dose, while almost 2m Kiwis are fully vaccinated.
Jacinda Ardern repeated her call for all eligible Kiwis to get vaccinated, during her Covid-19 briefing today. Photo: Pool / NZ Herald / Mark Mitchell
Mandatory vaccinations for flying overseas
Air New Zealand will require customers travelling anywhere on its international network to be fully vaccinated.
Chief executive Greg Foran says vaccination against Covid-19 is the new reality of international travel.
He said many destinations New Zealanders wanted to travel to were already closed to unvaccinated visitors.
The policy will apply to all passengers aged 18 and older, arriving or departing Aotearoa on an Air New Zealand aircraft.
Anyone who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons will need to provide proof.
Foran said the decision came through "loud and clear" in recent consultations with employees.
Greg Foran is backing the wishes of airline staff who want to fly alongside fully vaccinated passengers. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
Unwanted record for Melbourne
Melbourne will become the most locked down city in the world tomorrow night, beating Buenos Aires in Argentina at 245 days in lockdown as the state of Victoria announced 1220 new cases of Covid-19 and three deaths today.
People get some exercise in central Melbourne as the city's lockdown drags on. Photo: AFP
New South Wales recorded a "dramatic drop" in community cases, with 667 infections and 10 deaths as the state announced an easing of self-quarantine rules for the fully vaccinated.
The case total was the lowest since 19 August.
Meanwhile, Queensland recorded no new community cases - providing the all-clear for the NRL grand final to go ahead at Lang Park in Brisbane tonight.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said it was excellent news, announcing her intention to attend the Grand Final.
Fans at the stadium were being urged to observe the rules and there were reminders to other fans all over Australia not to hold parties as they watched one of the country's most popular sporting events.