Photo: 123rf.com / Composite Image - RNZ
There have been 34,528 new cases of Covid-19 and 40 deaths of people with the virus over the past week, the Ministry of Health says.
As of Sunday midnight, 418 cases were hospitalised and 10 were in intensive care.
Of the 40 people with the virus who died, two were from Northland, 14 were from Auckland region, four were from Waikato, one was from Bay of Plenty, four were from Lakes, one was from Hawke's Bay, three were from MidCentral, three were from Whanganui, one was from Wellington region, one was from Nelson Marlborough, three were from Canterbury, two were from Southern.
One was in their 40s, three were in their 50s, two were in their 60s, eight were in their 70s, 21 were in their 80s and five were aged over 90. Of these people, 16 were women and 24 were men.
The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 4926, compared with 3863 the previous week.
Last week, immunologist Dr Anthony Jordan said it was important for people to plan ahead and be prepared in case they caught Covid-19 over the Christmas break.
Te Pūnaha Matatini physicist and contagion modeller Dr Dion O'Neale said Christmas gatherings and social events over the next few weeks would bring increased opportunities for the virus to spread, but the summer holidays which followed could help to bring case numbers down since people were not at work or school.
Last week, the Ministry of Health reported 27,076 new Covid-19 cases and 58 deaths.