Covid 19 Delta outbreak: Ministry of Health to release latest case numbers ahead of Auckland alert level decision

New ZealandUpdated

8 Nov, 2021 12:10 AM3 minutes to read

There were 113 cases of Covid-19 in the community today, down from yesterday’s record high of 206 – New Zealand’s highest number since the pandemic began. Video / NZ Herald

There are 190 Covid cases in the community – the last set of data Cabinet will see before deciding whether Auckland will move to a new alert level.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is due to make the announcement at 4pm.

Of today’s 190 new cases today 182 are in Auckland, seven are in Waikato and one is in Northland.

Probe into hospital death

An investigation is underway as to whether or not a person admitted to hospital on October 23 died of Covid-19.

The patient, who was in their late-60s, was admitted to hospital for trauma injuries and tested positive after their arrival for Covid-19.

The cause of the person’s death will be determined by the coroner, including whether it may have been Covid-19 related.

“Our thoughts are with the patient’s whânau and friends at this deeply sad time,” the Ministry of Health said.

Record number of Covid patients in hospital

There are 81 people with the virus in hospital today, up from yesterday’s 74. Of those in hospital, 80 are in Auckland and one is in Whangārei.

A total of 3272 first doses and 11,008 second doses were administered yesterday. To date, 89 per cent of Kiwis have had their first dose and 78 per cent are fully vaccinated.

There were seven new cases confirmed in Hamilton overnight, four in Te Awamutu and three in Hamilton.

Six were known contacts already in isolation. Public Health will today investigate links for the remaining case.

There are five new cases to report in Northland today.

Four of the cases were notified after the Ministry’s 9am reporting cut-off and will be added to the official case tally tomorrow.

Twenty residents and four staff members of Edmonton Meadows Care Home in Henderson, Auckland have tested positive. Seven residents are receiving “appropriate ward-level care” at Auckland hospitals.

Auckland alert levels

Auckland is currently at alert level 3.1. Last week Ardern said a decision had been taken in principle to allow the locked down region to go to alert level 3.2 at midnight Tuesday.

This would allow shops and public facilities to reopen and outdoor gatherings to increase to 25 people.

The scene in Auckland’s CBD today – retail stores are allowed to re-open at alert level 3.2. Photo / Dean Purcell

Ardern told The AM Show today that Auckland could move into the new traffic light framework in as early as three weeks.

That would see everything including hospitality open and this was looking possible now all the Auckland DHBs had reached the 90 per cent target for first jabs.

In terms of letting Aucklanders through the border at Christmas, Ardern said the logistical issue was how they would get 30,000 to 40,000 vehicles a day through the border.

“We’ve given the commitment, we know we need to enable people to move.”

She had not said it would be done at the start of summer – but the goal was to do so by Christmas.

She said the country had never operated a land border and while it wasn’t a long-term solution, it was a major challenge. A date about when Aucklanders could leave would be announced as soon as she could.

Ardern confirmed today that Counties Manukau DHB had hit the 90 per cent mark for vaccinations, after needing just 192 first jabs yesterday.

There are now 1886 people isolating at home across Auckland, including 816 people with Covid in 661 households.