41 community cases of Covid; two new cases in managed isolation; 69,582 doses of vaccine delivered so far during Super Saturday

There are 41 new community cases today. As at 10am, 20 of these cases are linked, 13 of which are household contacts and 21 remain unlinked with investigations continuing to help determine their connection to the current outbreak. 

Super Saturday

Super Saturday has kicked off strongly this morning with thousands of people around the country rolling up their sleeves for their COVID-19 vaccinations.

By 1pm, 69,582 people have been vaccinated today, 19,773 with their first dose and 49,809 with their second dose.

Today’s numbers include 5,443 first doses and 6,004 second doses for Māori.

Today, 1,979 Pacific people have received their first vaccination and 4,215 the second dose.

In Auckland today 4,490 Aucklanders have had their first dose and 17,714 their second.

A huge range of events are underway around the country with more than 120 extra vaccination sites open – from the TSS Earnslaw in Queenstown to the Air New Zealand Jabaseat in Auckland.

Our first-ever Vaxathon launched at midday today to celebrate the regions with the biggest change in vaccination numbers and is featuring lots of well-known Kiwis who are mobilising to support Super Saturday.

The Unite Against Covid’s Super Saturday webpage is publishing regular data updates about the number of people getting their shots today around the regions and information about getting vaccinated, including free transport options and vaccination site.

A second Facebook live panel of experts was held at 9.30am today, with Dr Ashley Bloomfield, Dr Nikki Turner, Dr Siouxsie Wiles and Dr Vanisi Prescott answering more of the public’s questions about the COVID-19 Vaccine, moderated by Mihingarangi Forbes.

Vaccination remains our number one protection against COVID-19. The Vaxathon is encouraging New Zealanders – particularly young Māori, Pacific and people living with a disability to get vaccinated.

To best protect your whānau, community, and the rest of New Zealand we are asking you to help us reach your friends, whânau, and colleagues who may still have some hesitation about being vaccinated and need some help and support to get it done.

The more of us who are fully vaccinated, the more protection we will have.

Daily numbers

  • Number of new community cases *: 41
  • Number of new cases identified at the border: Two
  • Location of new community cases: Auckland (40); Waikato (1)
  • Location of community cases (total): Auckland 1,840 (1,228 of whom have recovered); Waikato 38 (2 of whom have recovered); Wellington 17 (all of whom have recovered)
  • Number of community cases (total): 1,895 (in current community outbreak)
  • Cases infectious in the community : 35 of yesterday’s 64 cases have exposure events
  • Cases in isolation throughout the period they were infectious : 25 of yesterday’s 64 cases
  • Cases epidemiologically linked: 20 of today’s 41 cases
  • Cases to be epidemiologically linked: 21 of today’s 41 cases.
  • Cases epidemiologically linked (total): 1,748 (in the current cluster) (124 unlinked from the past 14 days)
  • Sub-clusters: Given the number of unlinked cases each day, subclusters are not currently being used in the active management of the outbreak in Auckland. Epidemiological links are being explored during case interviews and whole genome sequencing is being undertaken on all cases, but the focus is on isolating cases and identifying, testing and isolating close contacts.
  • Cases in hospital: 31 (total): North Shore (3); Middlemore (17); Auckland (11);
  • Cases in ICU or HDU: Six
  • Confirmed cases (total): 4,580 since pandemic began
  • Historical cases, since 1 Jan 2021 (total): 171 out of 2,765 since 1 Jan 2021

Contacts

  • Number of active contacts being managed (total):: 2,032
  • Percentage who have received an outbound call from contact tracers (to confirm testing and isolation requirements): 83%
  • Percentage with at least one test result: 75%

Locations of interest

  • Locations of interest (total): 446 (as at 10am 16 October)

Tests

  • Number of tests (total): 3,725,599
  • Number of tests total (last 24 hours): 24,285
  • Tests processed in Auckland (last 24 hours):
  • Tests rolling average (last 7 days): 22,683
  • Testing centres in Auckland: 20

Wastewater

  • Wastewater detections: See below

COVID-19 vaccine update

  • Vaccines administered to date (total): 6,183,988; 1st doses: 3,526,668 (84%); 2nd doses: 2,657,320 (63%)
  • Vaccines administered yesterday (total): 69,663; 1st doses:14,037; 2nd doses: 55,626
  • Māori: 1st doses: 364,556; 2nd doses: 241,532
  • Pacific Peoples: 1st doses: 225,288; 2nd doses: 160,074
  • Vaccines administered to Auckland residents to date (total): 2,241,688: 1st doses: 1,260,137 (88%); 2nd doses: 981,551 (69%)
  • Vaccines administered to Auckland residents yesterday (total): 26,684: 1st doses:4,056, 2nd doses: 22,628

NZ COVID Tracer

  • Registered users (total): 3,301,211
  • Poster scans (total): 433,764,050
  • Manual diary entries (total): 18,354,647
  • Poster scans in 24 hours to midday yesterday: 2,592,825

New case identified at the border

Arrival date

From

Via

Positive test day/reason

Managed isolation/quarantine location

11 October

United States of America

Direct

Day 0 / routine

Christchurch

11 October

United States of America

Direct

Day 0 / routine

Christchurch

*Today’s cases

A previously reported community case has been identified as a duplicate and subsequently removed from the case tally. Our net increase today is 40 community cases.

A community case reported in yesterday’s figures has been reclassified and the net increase to yesterday’s figures is one less – 64.

Waikato update

There is one new positive COVID-19 case to report from the Waikato outbreak. The case is a household member of two existing cases and is already in a quarantine facility in Auckland.

Waikato DHB is continuing to carry out regionwide testing, to help rule out any undetected community spread of COVID-19.

Meanwhile, vaccination rates in Waikato remained high yesterday with 5,789 people receiving a dose – of these, 1,591 were first doses, and a further 4,198 were second doses.

Northland update

There was a steady number of tests – 1,593, completed in Northland yesterday; and demand for vaccinations was strong too, with 2,101 doses administered in total – of these 719 were first doses and 1,382 were second doses.

Locations of testing sites in various regions around the country are available on the Healthpoint website.

Woman connected to Northland pair in quarantine

An Auckland woman associated with the two women who travelled to Northland has tested positive for COVID-19 and is in an Auckland quarantine facility. She was in Northland with the other two women.

Public health officials have determined she wasn’t infectious while she was in Northland between 2-8 October. Her infectious period has been determined as beginning after she returned to Auckland.

Three household contacts and two other contacts have been identified by public health officials. These contacts follow a visit to a private home in Auckland and shared transport to the testing centre.

Wastewater results

There continues to be positive COVID-19 detections in wastewater samples taken from Raglan. This reflects known cases in the area who have been granted exemptions to isolate at home. However, symptomatic locals are encouraged to please get tested.

There have also been positive detections in wastewater from Beachlands and Pukekohe. These followed earlier detections at both sites on 8 October. People in these areas with symptoms are also asked to please get tested.

People in Wellsford are urged to get tested after two positive detections in wastewater samples. Further samples are currently being analysed. There are testing stations open today at both Wellsford and Warkworth, and a pop-up testing centre is expected to open on Monday in Mangawhai.

Next update

The Ministry’s next update is scheduled for tomorrow (Sunday), via a 1pm statement.

/Public Release. View in full here.