The daily number of community cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand has soared past the 6000 mark, with a record 6137 new cases today.
Photo: AFP
In a statement, the Ministry of Health said 1979 cases were in the Auckland DHBs, with the rest in the Northland (56), Waikato (314), Bay of Plenty (116), Lakes (75), Hawke's Bay (30), MidCentral (69), Whanganui (13), Taranaki (30), Tairāwhiti (26), Wairarapa (11), Capital and Coast (120), Hutt Valley (68), Nelson Marlborough (112), Canterbury (194), South Canterbury (3), Southern (305), and West Coast (4) DHBs.
The ministry said 3526 of today's results were PCR tests, while 2611 were detected through RATs, the first time these have been included in the daily releases.
The ministry said it was very important that people self-reported positive results for RATs, so the size of the outbreak could be understood.
"We'd like to thank the thousands of people who have already self-reported positive RAT results."
One more person with Covid-19 has died at Middlemore Hospital, the ministry confirmed today.
There were 205 people in hospital with the coronavirus, including two in ICU.
The ministry said increasing numbers of cases and hospitalisations were another reminder that vaccination is the best defence against the virus.
"There is growing evidence that three doses of Pfizer is protective against infection and symptomatic infection for Omicron."
Yesterday the ministry announced 3297 new cases of Covid-19 in the community - the first time the total had exceeded 3000.
There were also eight cases detected at the border today.
There have now been 42,469 cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand since the pandemic began.
There were 24,632 booster doses given yesterday, as well as 536 first doses, 1146 second doses, 136 third primary doses, 1385 paediatric first doses and 150 paediatric second doses.