Covid update Dec 18: 39 new cases

Saturday December 18

Today there are 39 new cases of Covid-19.

Of these, 25 are in Auckland, 11 in Bay of Plenty, and 2 in the Lakes District and 1 in Taranaki.

There are 49 people in hospital, with 5 of those people in intensive care or high dependency units.

The average age of people currently in hospital is 53.

94 percent of New Zealand's eligible population have had the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, and 90 percent have had a second dose.

There have been 4,368,166 vaccine pass downloads, including 32,526 in the last 24 hours.

Whole genome sequencing has now detected a further four cases of Omicron in recent international arrivals. There are now a total of eight cases with the Omicron variant isolating in MIQ facilities, none have been in the community.

Click here for a list of updated locations of interest.

Top image credit e.g. Police at Northland checkpoint, checking for vaccine passes or negative covid tests. Photo: Fiona Goodall/Getty Images

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