Coronavirus

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Auckland, rest of New Zealand warned Omicron cases could still rise

Health authorities said the outbreak had peaked in Auckland but was still growing nearly everywhere else.

Pinnacle Midlands Health Network has 85 practices across the middle of the North Island and medical director Jo Scott-Jones said some were seeing huge numbers of patients with the virus.

There were surges in Taranaki, Tairāwhiti, Lakes and Waikato DHB areas, he said.

"What we're seeing is being described as a Mexican wave, sort of travelling down the country," he said.

More Covid-19 cases in French Polynesia as pandemic eases

The health authorities say five patients are in hospital.

The number of active cases has almost halved in the past week and is now 662.

More than 80 percent of those 12 years and older have had two jabs.

Pandemic-related restrictions were further relaxed earlier this month by exempting more people from the obligation to be vaccinated.

There is also no longer a need to show a vaccine pass for domestic travel.

     

PNG loosens some of the rules around Covid

There have not been recent public revelations of the numbers of Covid cases and deaths, but at least 639 fatalities have been recorded.

From today the need for booster shots to reach fully vaccinated status are dropped - two doses will suffice.

People arriving by boat, including cruise ships, will no longer require tests within 72 hours of boarding, but they have to be fully vaccinated and will be tested on arrival.

People arriving by air, internationally or domestically, must be fully vaccinated unless they are PNG citizens or permanent residents.

Cook Islands lift some Covid restrictions

As of this morning there had been 676 cases in the Cooks, with 206 having recovered and 470 still active.

The vast majority of these cases have been on Rarotonga, with several on Aitutaki.

The Prime Minister, Mark Brown, says while none of the Covid-19 victims in the country have needed hospital treatment, one case does have moderate symptoms.

He said this person is being supported by Te Marae Ora and other government agencies.

Mr Brown also said there are 14 active cases aged 70 or over and these people are also being closely monitored.

American Samoa adapting to surging community spread

The chairman of the Covid 19 Task force, Lieutenant Governor Talauega Eleasalo Ale, says Covid is surging in the community and American Samoa must adjust to address the needs of the community.

"We need to move away from mass and indiscriminate lockdown policies and focus on adopting realistic and targetted policies to ensure that our people are able to live their lives safely while ensuring that life-saving services are accessible to our public," Talauega said.

Solomons' Covid figures soar

This takes the total number of cases since January to more than 9,000.

There have been 120 deaths related to Covid infections, according to the Ministry of Health and Medical Services.

     

Two more deaths, 15,540 new cases and 952 in hospital

Two Covid-related deaths have also been reported and there are 952 people in hospital, including 19 in intensive care.

The average age of people in hospital is currently 58.

Of the two Covid-related deaths, one was in Waikato and one was in Canterbury. Both people were women aged over 70.

The total number of publicly reported Covid-19 related deaths to date is now 115, the ministry said in a statement.

"Our thoughts and sympathies are with the whānau and friends of all those who have died."

Concern in NSW at rise of Covid-19 Omicron sub-variant BA2

Health Minister Brad Hazzard today told a NSW budget estimates hearing the BA2 sub-variant, thought to be more infectious than the BA1 lineage, was becoming the dominant Omicron offshoot.

Hazzard said preliminary data from the University of NSW (UNSW) indicated cases could "more than double" within six weeks.

"It's very preliminary and we need to do a lot more digging ... but we are concerned at this point that BA2 is amongst us and overtaking BA1," he said.

There were 16,288 cases recorded in NSW today, the highest figure since 27 January.

First Covid-19 case arrives in Aitutaki

The case is an Aitutaki resident, and the person is isolating at home.

Household contacts are currently being identified and are asked to quarantine.

Like Rarotonga, the population on Aitutaki is highly vaccinated and Prime Minister Mark Brown said they are prepared for this.

Over the weekend 24 new cases were confirmed, bringing the total number to 130.

R-A-T tests will be used to diagnose new cases in the Cook Islands as is occurring in New Zealand.

No additional PCR test will be required except for clinical reasons.

     

“People’s Convoy” flocks to Washington area to protest Covid-19 restrictions

The so-called "People's Convoy," which originated in California and has drawn participants from around the country, is calling for an end to all pandemic-related restrictions. It was inspired by demonstrations last month that paralysed Ottawa, Canada's capital city.

The convoy's message has been undercut in recent weeks as major US cities have rolled back mask mandates and other measures against Covid-19, which has led to more than 950,000 deaths in the United States but has been mitigated with vaccines and therapeutics.