12 Dec 2021

Covid-19 update: 103 new community cases in New Zealand today

1:15 pm on 12 December 2021

There have been 103 new community cases of Covid-19 reported in New Zealand today.

A Covid-19 testing road sign in Napier

A Covid-19 testing road sign in Napier Photo: Tom Kitchin

In a statement, the Ministry of Health said there were 61 people in hospital with the coronavirus, including three in intensive care.

Today's cases include two in Northland; 86 in Auckland; nine in Waikato; three in the Bay of Plenty; one in Rotorua and two in Canterbury.

There was also one case today in Taranaki and one in Nelson-Tasman, which will be officially added to the country's case numbers tomorrow. The Taranaki case is not linked to any of the previously reported cases in New Plymouth or Waitara and is currently isolating at home.

A border worker case reported yesterday remains under investigation.

The two Northland cases are in Kaitaia and Paihia, and are linked to earlier cases. The nine Waikato cases include six in Te Kūiti, one in Hamilton, one in Tokoroa, and one in Ōtorohanga.

The three new cases reported in the Bay of Plenty are all in the Tauranga area, while the Rotorua case is linked to the existing cluster in the Lakes DHB area.

Both cases in Christchurch today are in a managed isolation facility and both are household members of existing cases.

Yesterday the number of new community cases in New Zealand dropped to the lowest level in nearly two months, with 63 new cases reported.

There have been no further cases reported at the Aria Park Retirement Village in the Auckland suburb of Epsom after a staff member tested positive yesterday.

There was also one case reported in managed isolation today.

There have now been 9714 cases in the current community outbreak and 12,515 confirmed cases since the pandemic began.

The ministry said there were 15,910 vaccine doses given yesterday, including 2698 first doses; 8446 second doses; 216 third primary doses and 4550 boosters.

It said 94 percent of eligible people in New Zealand have had their first dose and 89 percent are fully vaccinated. A further 91 percent of the eligible population who are now fully vaccinated have downloaded a 'My Vaccine Pass'.

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