7 Oct 2021

Covid-19 updates: Highest number of second-dose vaccines

6:32 pm on 7 October 2021

More people got their second dose of the Covid vaccine yesterday than any other day so far. See how the day's Covid-19 news unfolded with RNZ's live blog.

Each of the past three days have set records for second doses - 41,000 on Monday, 46,000 on Tuesday and 51,300 yesterday.

Almost 19,000 first doses were also given, the most in 10 days.

There have now been 5,538,151 doses given in New Zealand - 3,380,704 first doses and 2,157,447 second doses.

Eighty-five percent of Aucklanders have now had at least one dose of the Covid vaccine, with 56 percent having received two. Nationally, vaccination rates are five percentage points lower than in Auckland, at 80 percent first doses and 51 percent second.

Meanwhile, a worker in a call centre at a major Covid-19 testing laboratory site in Auckland has tested positive for the coronavirus.

Asia Pacific Healthcare Group conducts around one-third of New Zealand testing. It was awarded a Ministry of Health contract in May to provide surveillance saliva testing, primarily for the border workforce and MIQs.

A statement released this afternoon says the call centre is in an administrative wing on the first floor of the Mt Wellington site, separate from the main laboratory. Affected call centre staff are at home and self-isolating.

There were 29 new community cases today.

See how the day's Covid-19 news unfolded with RNZ's live blog:

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