There are 11,464 new cases of COVID-19as officials report an additional 29 deaths in people with the virus in the past five days.
There are 729 people hospitalized with the virus across the country, 18 of whom are in intensive care or in high-dependency wards, the health ministry advised Wednesday afternoon.
The seven-day moving average of new community cases is 9,710, up from 7591 on the same day last week.
Hospital admissions also remain the highest since early April.
The rolling seven-day average of Covid-positive patients in hospital is 634 as of Wednesday, up from 454 last week.
Sungmi Kim/Things
A second Omicron Covid-19 wave is coming more abruptly than many expected. (File photo)
The 29 deaths reported on Wednesday bring the total number of publicly reported deaths in the country to 1,737 and the seven-day moving average of deaths to 19.
Of those whose deaths were reported on Wednesday, one was in his fifties, one in his sixties, seven in his seventies, ten in his eighties and ten over ninety. Fifteen women and fourteen men.
Seven were from Auckland area, one was from Waikato, two were from Bay of Plenty, one was from Tairawhiti, two were from Taranaki, one was from Hawkes Bay, one was from MidCentral, two were from Wellington area, two were from Canterbury, two came from South Canterbury and eight from South.
MORE TO COME.