22 Aug 2022

Covid-19 update: 2706 new community cases, nine further deaths and 432 in hospital

1:18 pm on 22 August 2022

There are 2706 new community cases and nine Covid-19 related deaths to report today.

Rapid test device for COVID-19 virus with a positive result.

Photo: 123RF

In a statement, the Ministry of Health said there were also 432 people in hospital, including nine in ICU.

The seven-day rolling average of community case numbers today is 3655 - last Monday, it was 4230.

And the seven-day rolling average of hospitalisations today is 472 - last Monday, it was 570.

The locations of the cases in hospital are: Northland (12), Waitematā (63), Counties Manukau (43), Auckland (51), Waikato (71), Bay of Plenty (16), Lakes (11), Hawke's Bay (20), MidCentral (29), Whanganui (four), Taranaki (12), Wairarapa (two), Capital & Coast (14), Hutt (17), Nelson Marlborough (nine), Canterbury (41), West Coast (three), South Canterbury (five) and Southern (nine).

On the deaths being reported today, four were from the Auckland region, two were from Waikato, one was from Canterbury and two were from Southern.

One was in their 50s, three were in their 60s, two were in their 70s, two were in their 80s and one was aged over 90. Of these people, five were women and four were men.

There are now a total of 1824 deaths confirmed as attributable to Covid-19, either as the underlying cause of death or as a contributing factor.

The seven-day rolling average increase in total deaths attributable to the virus is now 10.

At the border, there were 140 new Covid-19 cases.

Surgeons say the pressure on hospitals is as bad as it has been all winter in some places, despite Covid-19 hospitalisations dropping.

Planned operations have been severely restricted throughout the season because hospitals are so busy, but health bosses say more are now able to be done.

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