Covid 19 coronavirus Delta outbreak: Pasifika 13 of 15 hospital cases

Churchgoers affected in the country’s biggest Covid cluster are being encouraged to “keep the faith” as they continue to be urged to get tested. Video / Brett Phibbs

The majority of the 15 people in hospital with Covid-19 amid the current Delta outbreak are Pasifika and under the age of 50, new Ministry of Health data reveals.

It comes as 68 new cases were reported in the community today, marking the highest daily number yet in the Delta outbreak. It brought the total to 277.

Of the 15 people in hospital, 13 are Pasifika, one is Māori and the remaining case is marked “other” by the ministry.

A breakdown of hospitalised cases by age is also given: one is a teenager, four are in their 20s, two in their 30s, two in their 40s, four in their 50s, and two are older than 70.

Ten of 277 people who had contracted the virus in the community were fully vaccinated and a further 34 had received one dose, director of public health Caroline McElnay announced today.

Health officials said New Zealand should now start to see the peak of Covid-19 cases in the Delta outbreak as Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern stressed the level 4 lockdown was working.

Ardern and her Cabinet colleagues are due to meet tomorrow to decide if lockdown restrictions can lift in parts of New Zealand.

Overall, New Zealand was in a very similar place to yesterday, Ardern said. The numbers were not unexpected, she said.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if we continue to see high numbers because of those household contacts,” Ardern said.

Hospitalised cases by age:

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0-9: 0
10-19: 1
20-29: 4
30-39: 2
40-49: 2
50-59: 4
60-69: 0
70+: 2

Hospitalised cases by ethnicity:
Māori: 1
Pacific: 13
Other: 1