SUNGMI KIM/Things
The seven-day moving average number of Covid-19 numbers has steadily declined this week. (File photo)
The Ministry of Health reports that there are 8,728 new cases of Covid-19 in the community and another 26 deaths of people with the virus.
There were 759 people hospitalized with the virus, including 13 in intensive care or high dependency wards.
New Zealand is in the midst of a second wave, fueled by the more transmissible BA.5 sub variant. Even more worryingly, earlier this week, two new community cases of a troubling Omicron subvariant, BA.2.75 sub variant (also known as centaurus), were identified in the country.
However, the number of cases has steadily decreased in recent days, leading to some cautiously suggest that Aotearoa has passed the peak of the second Omicron wave.
READ MORE:
* Covid-19: 9953 new community cases and 32 further deaths
* Covid-19 NZ: What’s going on with the current Omicron wave?
* Record number of people with Covid-19 in hospital in Canterbury
* Cancer surgery, treatment delayed by health system crisis
* Covid-19: Doctors in Australia alarmed by severity of BA.5 subvariant
Ella Bates Hermans
Tamariki, ages 5 to 11, can receive a pediatric version of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine to help protect them from the virus.
Hospital admissions remain high, with this wave hitting elderly New Zealanders hard. There were 767 people hospitalized with the virus on Thursday, 20 of them in intensive care or high-dependency wards.
Both the Department of Health and Te Whatu Ora (Health New Zealand) are monitoring the continued increase in cases and hospitalizations to inform its response to the current outbreak in the community.
The government recently announced new measures to expand access to free rapid antigen tests (RATs), masks and antivirals against Covid-19. you can find helpful advice on how to access them here.