New Zealand / Covid 19

Covid-19 update: Two more deaths, 15,540 new cases and 952 in hospital

14:37 pm on 14 March 2022

The Ministry of Health is reporting 15,540 new community cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand today.

Photo: 123rf.com

Two Covid-related deaths have also been reported and there are 952 people in hospital, including 19 in intensive care.

The average age of people in hospital is currently 58.

Of the two Covid-related deaths, one was in Waikato and one was in Canterbury. Both people were women aged over 70.

The total number of publicly reported Covid-19 related deaths to date is now 115, the ministry said in a statement.

"Our thoughts and sympathies are with the whānau and friends of all those who have died."

Of the 15,540 community cases reported today, 15,353 were found using rapid antigen tests (RATs) and 209 were identified via PCR testing.

Today's new cases are in Northland (482), Auckland (4,730), Waikato (1,532), Bay of Plenty (1,023), Lakes (457), Hawke's Bay (680), MidCentral (528), Whanganui (162), Taranaki (343), Tairāwhiti (262), Wairarapa (167), Capital and Coast (1,191), Hutt Valley (749), Nelson Marlborough (373), Canterbury (1,896), South Canterbury (130), Southern (795) and the West Coast (31).

The location of nine cases are unknown.

There are also 22 new cases at the border today.

New Zealand has now recorded a total of 376,676 cases of Covid-19.

The seven-day rolling average of cases is currently at 19,566, a dip from yesterday's figure of 19,771 and Saturday's figure of 19,888.

There were 3199 booster doses given yesterday, as well as 74 first doses; 223 second doses; six third primary doses; 334 paediatric first doses and 526 paediatric second doses.

Yesterday, the ministry announced that eight more people with Covid-19 had died in New Zealand and the number of community cases was 14,494.

Seven deaths of people with Covid-19 were announced on both Friday and Saturday.

Canterbury University epidemic modeller Michael Plank said that he is confident the number of Covid-19 cases in Auckland will edge down from here, but hospitalisations will be slower to decline.